How Paul Washer Got Saved

Mr. Evangelist Billy Sunday

Billy Sunday (1862-1935)

He was an American evangelist born in Iowa. A professional baseball player in the National League, he was Converted as a Christian and was saved in 1886. Associated with J. Wilbur Chapman from 1893 to 1895. An evangelist from 1896 to 1935, he made an attack on liquor the mainstay of his campaigns.

His Conversion Story: On a Sunday afternoon during either the 1886 or 1887 baseball season, Sunday and his teammates had drunk a few beers and were wandering the streets of Chicago on their day off. At one corner they stopped to listen to a street preaching team from the Pacific Garden Mission. Sunday was attracted to the old gospel songs that he had heard his mother sing, and he began attending services at the mission. A former society matron who worked there finally convinced Sunday that he must Repent of His Sins and Trust in Jesus Christ for his Salvation, and after some struggle and conviction of the Holy Spirit, he did so. The effect was immediate. Sunday stopped drinking and began faithfully attending the fashionable Jefferson Park Presbyterian Church, a congregation handy to both the ball park and his rented room.
Even before his conversion, Sunday's lifestyle seems to have been less boisterous than that of the average contemporary baseball player. Nevertheless, after his conversion, his changed behavior was recognized by both teammates and fans. Sunday shortly thereafter began speaking in churches and at YMCAs.

In the spring of 1891, Sunday turned down a $400 per month baseball contract in order to accept a position with the Chicago YMCA at $83 per month. Sunday's job title at the YMCA was Assistant Secretary, but the position involved a great deal of ministerial work. It proved to be good preparation for his later evangelistic career. For three years, Sunday visited the sick, prayed with the troubled, counseled the suicidal, and visited saloons to invite patrons to evangelistic meetings.
In 1893, Sunday became the full-time assistant to J. Wilbur Chapman, one of the best known evangelists in the United States at the time. Chapman was well educated and was a meticulous dresser, suave and urbane. Personally shy, like Sunday, Chapman commanded respect in the pulpit both because of his strong voice and his sophisticated demeanor. Sunday's job as Chapman's advance man was to precede the evangelist to cities in which he was scheduled to preach, organize prayer meetings and choirs, and in general take care of necessary details. When tents were used, Sunday would often help erect them.
By listening to Chapman preach night after night, Sunday received a valuable course in homiletics. Chapman also critiqued Sunday's own attempts at evangelistic preaching and showed him how to put a good sermon together. Further, Chapman encouraged Sunday's theological development, especially by emphasizing the importance of prayer and by helping to "reinforce Billy's commitment to conservative biblical Christianity."

Israel My Glory

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I would recommend going to this site and subscribing for a 1-year subscription of this magazine. It is amazing. It's got updates what's going on with Israel right now, stories from Christians throughout the world and inside Jerusalem and so forth. I look forward to it every month. This month has to do with the Church. What is it? Both sides of Covenant and Replacement Theologians teach about the Church. It's a amazing magazine and after you subscribe, probably should give a donation fee for the magazine. It is nicely decorated and has beautiful pictures and graphs inside it. That's all today, May it be a blessing to you!

“Many of us are familiar with the tale of Victor Frankenstein. He was a Swiss scientist who went through terrible tragedy. He wanted to take something lifeless and bring it to life, so he created this huge, lifeless entity that he named after himself, Frankenstein. The lifeless creature came to life through electric currents, and it became a beast. The tragedy of Frankenstein is that after he was created, after his lifelessness was given life, after he went from nothing to something, he turned on his creator and made him a victim. Victor Frankenstein suffered because of his own creation.
God found us when we were dead in our trespasses and sins. He created us, found us, shared the Gospel with us, saved us, and gave us new, eternal life. But many of us have become Frankenstein Christians. We've turned on our Creator and rather than living for Him, we want to live on our own and turn against Him. There is only one reason you and I are here: for His purpose. Until that becomes a life decision and a daily orientation, we will simply exist and never get around to real living. If you are ready to live for His purpose, you need only tell Him. Make His purpose your own, and you will find the richest, deepest meaning in life. His purpose will drive you to live life in the fullness of His great love each and every day”.

By Tony Evans

My Blog is about TRUTH John 14:6

Ravi Zacharias Testimony:

My own personal story and it is this: I was a teenager in Delhi on the verge of suicide. I had no hope; I had no meaning. I had no promise for the future, for my life. I was lying in a hospital bed when a man walked in and wanted to speak to me. My mother told him that he couldn’t speak to me—I was in intensive care, I was dying. He gave me a little New Testament and asked my mother to read it to me. Her English wasn’t very good, but in that King James language, he turned to the fourteenth chapter of John and read it to her and asked her to read it to me. And there as I laid dying, I heard the words of Jesus saying, “I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life, no one comes unto the Father except through me.” I prayed a simple prayer and I said, “Jesus, I really don’t know much about you, but if you are the way, you are the truth, and you are the life, enter into my life and change not only what I do, please change what I want to do.” I need to tell you that not a few hours before my suicide attempt my father looked me in the eye and said to me, “You’re going to make nothing of your life; you’re an embarrassment to me.” My dad was a highly placed government officer having served under Prime Minister Nehru, and then under a personal friend of Gandhi. He was powerful and he saw my life heading nowhere, and said those words that I know he himself regretted later. So I asked myself, “Why live?” No hope, no meaning, no truth, until I heard the words of Jesus, “I am the way, the truth, the life, no one comes unto the Father except through me.”
Ladies and gentlemen, in the simplicity and the complexity of that room, I invited Jesus Christ into my life. He changed not only what I did; He changed what I wanted to do. He changed my heart to the profoundest depths of human experience. Why do I see Him as the way, the truth, the life? Listen carefully. There are four questions in life—origin, meaning, morality, and destiny. When you look at the person of Christ, you’ll find all of those answered.
Consider these four pillars—eternity, morality, accountability, charity. Jesus said this: that He was with the Father from the beginning. He was uncreated. This Old Testament prophet said, “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.” Notice the words. He didn’t say the son is born. The son never was born; the son eternally existed, and came as a child of a virgin birth. And then in His perfect life, His death and His resurrection, He embodied what it meant to be moral, for what evil is to life, contradiction is to reason. When an argument is contradictory, the argument breaks down. When evil enters your life, life breaks down. He embodied that which was purity without sin. Accountability said, “I’ve come to do the will of my Father.” And Charity went to the Cross. Even Mahatma Gandhi said this, “Of all the dispositions and teachings of thinkers and ethicists, the one doctrine that I have no sufficient counter for is Jesus on that Cross.” Think about it. He offers it to you and to me. To give us a sense of the eternal, to give us the moral, to give us the accountable, and to give us the charitable. And He arose again from the dead to guarantee that.
Here is my closing illustration, and thank you so much for giving me a hearing. It is a parable that comes from the east of a man who owned a lot of paintings, a very wealthy man who had a son. The son used to go into the city streets and would often talk to a beggar. The beggar took a liking to this young man and one day gave this young man a portrait he’d painted of him. So the young man took it to his father who was an art connoisseur and the father thought to himself, “Well, it’s not a very good painting, but we’ll hang it up in the gallery because it’s supposed to be of my son.” Many, many years went by and the young lad stopped coming to visit the beggar. And the beggar finally went to the gates of the palace and said, “I don’t see that young man anymore.” The palace guards said, “Well, he died very suddenly.” The beggar was very unhappy to hear the news and he said, “Can I see his father?” And they said, “Yes.” The beggar said to the father, “I have done another picture of your son, just like the other one. I want you to have it.” He gave it to the father and the father, of course, hung up the painting beside the other one.
Not long afterwards, the father suddenly passed away too, and the beggar heard about it. He also heard that all the art in the palace was going to be auctioned. So he asked if he could go in. An auctioneer came and saw all the paintings on the walls, and the connoisseurs were there and they were all going to bid on them. There in the middle of this collection were hanging the two paintings of his son done by this beggar that were not very good at all. The auctioneer said, “We’re going to have an auction, but the first paintings to go are the ones of the young lad here and then we’ll proceed with the rest.” They said, “We’re not interested in them, just get on with the….” He said, “No, no, we must begin with these.” But nobody bid. So the beggar put his hand in his pocket and took out a handful of pennies, and said, “I want to bid on the young man’s paintings.” And nobody else competed for the few pennies, the gavel was sounded, and he got the son’s portraits.
As the beggar took them and was about to leave, the gavel sounded again and the auctioneer said, “I have some news for you. Behind the paintings of this young man are the words, ‘Whoever bids on these gets the whole gallery.’” He who got the son got everything that the father had to give. I present to you the very Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, who gives you all that His Father has to offer: eternity, morality, accountability and charity. When you know Him, you know the truth and that truth will set you free indeed, for you will live for it, present it, and this generation will listen. May God richly bless you.

http://www.rzim.org / Ravi's Website

"You Are Dearly Loved by God" by Paul Washer

(((((((((((( IT'S A MUST LISTEN ))))))))))))
(((If you have headphones, plug them in))))))))))

You Are Dearly Loved By God by Paul WasherScripture(s): Song of Solomon 4:7-6:2 Description: An in-depth look into the passages in the Song of Solomon. Paul explores the richness of the Bridegroom's love for His Bride and gives us the challenge of what our response should be. A message of true freedom and deep rest that needs to be listened to again and again.
This Sermon is Amazing and so comforting listening to Paul preach out of the book Song of Solomon. I have never heard some preacher preach out of that book before. I have remixed his hour-and-half sermon to a thirty-minute mix of the sermon. It is so powerful and if you’re want a copy of it, just let me know by a response and I will send you the remix free. Our bridegroom (Christ) is so beautiful and this sermon will touch your heart. May Christ and the Cross be preached throughout the nations! Amen...
Paul Washer's Bio:
Paul Washer became a believer while attending the University of Texas studying to become an oil and gas lawyer. He completed his undergraduate studies and enrolled at Southwestern Theological Seminary where he received his Master of Divinity degree. Paul left the states shortly after graduation as a North American missionary to Peru.Paul ministered as a missionary in Peru for 10 years, during which time he founded the HeartCry Missionary Society to support Peruvian Church planters. HeartCry's work now supports over 80 indigenous missionaries in 15 different countries throughout Eastern Europe, South America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.An itinerant preacher, Paul also teaches in the internship program at his home church, First Baptist Church of Muscle Shoals, and is the author of The One True God: A Biblical Study of the Doctrine of God.

Hebrews 12 : 29

Jonathan Edwards1703-1758

SINNERS IN THE HANDS OF AN ANGRY GOD

Sermon preached in Enfield, Connecticut, on July 8, 1741
-Their foot shall slide in due time- Deut. xxxii. 35

If you have never listened to or read "Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God", you MUST read it. It’s all about Truth and the Biblical God of the Bible. You see… Most people don’t want to know the other attributes of God. But after reading this sermon, your heart will be convicted. Be like the Bereans did with Paul in Acts 17 “Search the scriptures to see weither or not what he is saying is true”? You see... When you understand God’s Plan for Salvation and you read your Bible, you will start to understand God and his nature and attributes. He is HUGE and we are a little “WORM”. But, our only way to get to Heaven is by this great word: “Propitiation”. It is the Center of the Gospel and is our only Hope!

May God receive HIS glory through Jesus Christ my Savior… Amen!

Revival Hymns

I recommend any Christian to listen to Revival Hymns. This editorial cut that I put together to give you a taste on the Sermon edit. I enjoyed this sermon mix and would recommend it to anyone. You can find it at Sermon Index.net and also the link from my blog. After listening to that you should download 10 shekels and a Shirt by Paris Reidhead. Paris is a native and years ago pastored here in the state of Minnesota. I enjoy listening to his sermons and also would recommend them too. When you listen to Duncan Campbell preach on Revival, how amazing it would be to have that today. I was just thinking how Satan uses so much stuff to distract us these days with computers, T.V., cell phones, video consuls, etc… Just think of it back one-hundred years ago…NONE of that! Man, people would totally think about God more and rely on him, wouldn’t you think? Yep, and that is why there was so much revival going on in those countries. Man, can you picture that, people getting saved all over the world! Wow! Amazing, Big Amen’s to our Father.
Webster’s Dictionary Defines Revival as:
Main Entry: RevivalFunction: noun1: an act or instance of reviving: the state of being revived: as a: renewed attention to or interest in something b: a new presentation or publication of something old c (1): a period of renewed religious interest (2): an often highly emotional evangelistic meeting or series of meetings2: restoration of force, validity, or effect (as to a contract)

May we pray for REVIVAL these DAYS!!!!!!!

The 1st Seed

While down in Arlington, Texas in 2000 I had the first seed planted in my heart what church was all about. I attended this Bible-Based Church in Dallas, Texas called Oak Cliff Bible Church. Their pastor was the famous evangelical Tony Evans. Once you become a Christian you try to remember back to the seeds that were planted by fellow Christians that were trying to convert you to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Well, this church and pastor left an impression that I would never forget. It wasn’t until 5 years later that I recall seeing Tony Evans face on a book in my grandma’s apartment. At the time I was down in Texas, I was playing basketball and serving my god Ms. Spaulding the basketball. But when I attended this church on a Sunday in January, my eyes were opened to a totally radical way to worship the True and Living God Jesus Christ. It wasn’t till another four years after that before I became a Christian, but Tony Evans and his church left a joyful impression on my soul and God used that day to shine light on his glorious plan of salvation and my response I had to that.

The Firefighters

Imagine seeing a group of firefighters sitting outside a burning building with people trapped at a top floor window. Obviously, there is nothing wrong with firefighters resting outside – but not while people are trapped in a burning building! Instead of ignoring their cries, the firefighters should have an overwhelming sense of urgency to rescue them. That’s the spirit that should be behind the task of evangelism. But according to Dr. Bill Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ, “ONLY 2 % of Believers in America regularly share their faith with others.” That means that 98 % of the professing Body of Christ are “lukewarm” when it comes to obeying the Great Commission (Mark 16:15). Oswald J. Smith said, “Oh, my friends, we are loaded down with countless church activities, while the real work of the Church, that of evangelizing and winning the lost, is almost entirely neglected.” We have sat comfortable and rested in worship, prayer, and praise and neglected the sober task given to us by God. A firefighter who ignores his responsibilities and allows people to perish in flames is not a firefighter; he is an imposter. How can we ignore our responsibility and allow the world to walk blindly into the fires of hell? If God’s love dwells in us, we must warn them. The Bible tells us to “have compassion…save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh” (Jude 22, 23). If we don’t have love and compassion, then we don’t know God – we are imposters (1 John 4:8). Charles Spurgeon said, “Have you no wish for others to be SAVED? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that.” Please, examine yourself to see if you are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). Don’t be part of the great multitudes who called Jesus “Lord”, but refused to obey HIM. It will be professing believers who will hear those fearful words, “I never knew you: depart from me” (Matthew 7:21-23). If God is speaking to you about your lack of evangelistic concern, pray something like this now: Father, please forgive me for my lack of love for this dying world. From this day forward I will strive to be a “TRUE & FAITHFUL WITNESS”. Please become first in my life for everything and wisdom to know what to say to reach the lost. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

(taken from "The Evidence Bible" by Ray Comfort, Bridge Logos Publishers)

Thomas Watson 1620 - 1686 Puritan

Sir, Madaam...? Why you Must Repent!!!!!!!!!!!

1. God's sovereign command'He commandeth all men every where to repent' (Acts 17:30). Repentance is not arbitrary. It is not left to our choice whether or not we will repent, but it is an indispensable command. God has enacted a law in the High Court of heaven that no sinner shall be saved except the repenting sinner, and he will not break his own law. Though all the angels should stand before God and beg the life of an unrepenting person, God would not grant it. 'The Lord God, merciful and gracious, keeping mercy for thousands, and that will by no means clear the guilty' (Ex 34:6-37). Though God is more full of mercy than the sun is of light, yet he will not forgive a sinner while he goes on in his guilt: 'He will by no means clear the guilty'!2. The pure nature of God denies communion with an impenitent creatureTill the sinner repents, God and he cannot be friends: 'Wash you, make you clean' (Isa 1:16); go, steep yourselves in the brinish waters of repentance. Then, says God, I will parley with you: 'Come now, and let us reason together' (Isa 1:18); but otherwise, come not near me: 'What communion hath light with darkness?' (2 Cor 6:14). How can the righteous God indulge him that goes on still in his trespasses? 'I will not justify the wicked' (Ex 23:7). If God should be at peace with a sinner before he repents, God would seem to like and approve all that he has done. He would go against his own holiness. It is inconsistent with the sanctity of God's nature to pardon a sinner while he is in the act of rebellion.3. Sinners continuing in impenitence are out of Christ's commissionSee his commission: 'The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted' (Isa 61:1). Christ is a Prince and Saviour, but not to save men in an absolute way, whether or not they repent. If ever Christ brings men to heaven, it shall be through the gates of hell: 'Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance' (Acts 5:31); as a king pardons rebels if they repent and yield themselves to the mercy of their prince, but not if they persist in open defiance.4. We have by sin wronged GodThere is a great deal of equity in it that we should repent. We have by sin wronged God. We have eclipsed his honour. We have infringed his law, and we should, reasonably, make him some reparation. By repentance we humble and judge ourselves for sin. We set to our seal that God is righteous if he should destroy us, and thus we give glory to God and do what lies in us to repair his honour.5. If God should save men without repentance, making no discrimination, then by this rule he must save all, not only men, but devils, as Origen once held; and so consequently the decrees of election and reprobation must fall to the ground. How diametrically opposed this is to sacred writ, let all judge.There are two sorts of persons who will find it harder to repent than others: (1) Those who have sat a great while under the ministry of God's ordinances but grow no better. The earth which drinks in the rain, yet 'beareth thorns and briars, is nigh unto cursing' (Heb 6:8). There is little hope of the metal which has lain long in the fire but is not melted and refined. When God has sent his ministers one after another, exhorting and persuading men to leave their sins, but they settle upon the lees of formality and can sit and sleep under a sermon, it will be hard for these ever to be brought to repentance. They may fear lest Christ should say to them as once he said to the fig-tree, 'Never fruit grow on thee more' (Matt 21:19).(2) Those who have sinned frequently against the convictions of the word, the checks of conscience, and the motions of the Spirit. Conscience has stood as the angel with a flaming sword in its hand. It has said, Do not this great evil, but sinners regard not the voice of conscience, but march on resolvedly under the devil's colours. These will not find it easy to repent: 'They are of those that rebel against the light' (Job 24:13). It is one thing to sin for want of light and another thing to sin against light. Here the unpardonable sin takes its rise. Men begin by sinning against the light of conscience, and proceed gradually to despiting the Spirit of grace.A REPREHENSION TO THE IMPENITENTFirstly, it serves sharply to reprove all unrepenting sinners whose hearts seem to be hewn out of a rock and are like the stony ground in the parable which lacked moisture. This disease, I fear, is epidemical: 'No man repented him of his wickedness' (Jer 8:6). Men's hearts are marbled into hardness: 'they made their hearts as an adamant stone' (Zech 7:12). They are not at all dissolved into a penitential frame. It is a received opinion that witches never weep. I am sure that those who have no grief for sin are spiritually bewitched by Satan. We read that when Christ came to Jerusalem he 'upbraided the cities because they repented not' (Matt 11:20). And may he not upbraid many now for their impenitence? Though God's heart be broken with their sins, yet their hearts are not broken. They say, as Israel did, 'I have loved strangers, and after them will I go' (Jer 2:25). The justice of God, like the angel, stands with a drawn sword in its hand, ready to strike, but sinners have not eyes as good as those of Balaam's ass to see the sword. God smites on men's backs, but they do not, as Ephraim did, smite upon their thigh (Jer 31:19). It was a sad complaint the prophet took up: 'thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved' (Jer 5:3). That is surely reprobate silver which contracts hardness in the furnace. 'In the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord: this is that king Ahaz' (2 Chron 28:22). A hard heart is a receptacle for Satan. As God has two places he dwells in, heaven and a humble heart, so the devil has two places he dwells in, hell and a hard heart. It is not falling into water that drowns, but lying in it. It is not falling into sin that damns, but lying in it without repentance: 'having their conscience seared with a hot iron' (1 Tim 4:2). Hardness of heart results at last in the conscience being seared. Men have silenced their consciences, and God has seared them. And now he lets them sin and does not punish — 'Why should ye be stricken any more?' (Isa 1:5) — as a father gives over correcting a child whom he intends to disinherit.

17 Wins 7 Loses

Softball Season Completed...

My 3rd Season in a Church League Softball Association. I was 1st time coach and player this season. We finished in 4th place in our Divisional play. We started out the season 0-4 and then went on a 14 game winning streak and then finished strong. It was great to play with other Christians. It was a time to “Glorify God” and fellowship with other Believer’s in Christ. Our team was young with guys as young as fifteen years old and a couple of old men around forty year’s old. Our main strategic goal was to bat first and get as many hits and runs in the first inning as possible. It worked! So, if any of you coach a softball team in the near future, try that strategy. May God receive His Glory!

How do you get to my Living Room? The Door

Picture this…

My house has only one door of enter / exist. You enter through it to come in and out of the house right? You might say duh, yeah!!! But check this out; many people think there is many ways to come to God. But, that contradicts what Jesus Christ has said. He says he is the Way, the Truth, the Life, no man comes to the father except through Him John 14:6. That means He is right, or the other religions are right, but not both are right. Jesus Christ doesn’t allow for it. Let’s go back to my house analogy. The only way to get in and out of my house is by my front door. You might think you can get in my house through the other boundaries of my house and probably could, but that is not the right absolute way to get in. That is my little house and not heaven. Just imagine “Heaven” perfect without sin, holy, house of God almighty. The standards are much higher. The reason why all other religions are wrong is because Jesus Christ payment on the Cross would make no sense. The reason Jesus came to early as the “Perfect Lamb of God” was to come on one mission. That was to come and to seek and to save the lost. He came to set sinners, like you and I free from our sins. Do you know what keeps us out of heaven? It is called “Sin”. Sin separates us from God. Sin is what caused this world to fall when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). Since that sin, we the fallen race of mankind have been covered with a curse. Unless we repent of our sins and trust is Jesus Christ to be our perfect substitute / propitiation person to take our sins away, then we can enter heaven. But if we die in our sins, we then will not enter heaven. The Bible says we can’t earn it, work for it, or do anything to get into heaven. The Bible says that Jesus Christ came as God incarnate to live a perfect sinless life, without sin, and die a horror able death on the cross to be our propitiation and take God’s Wrath by himself and then conquer death and live on. That is the gospel. Do you see, the Bible says for forgiveness of sin, there has to be shedding of blood. So whose blood will be shed when you die? Yours or Christ’s? Do you see, if you sin one time, you are automatically disqualified for heaven. Only way to get to heaven is be perfect or repent and trust Jesus Christ to die in your place and live for him daily. If you are not perfect, you need your sins forgiven. The only religion that can do that is Christianity. God had it like that. All the other religions are work-righteous religions. Christianity says the opposed. Christianity says the only way to God is through Jesus Christ. No other roads lead to heaven. You might say that is harsh and why is that so? First, you have to understand God’s amazing plan for mankind. He knew from the beginning that man would sin and that we would follow our own way. But he was so loving that he sent his ONLY begotten Son, the Son of God to come to the early and live that perfect life and die the horrorable death and be our propitiation for us. Then he offered us free will. We have the choice to accept his amazing plan and repent and trust it or we have the choice to reject it and go to hell as we choose. Do you see the picture? He doesn’t send people to hell, they choose hell. Remember, to get into a house, there must be a door to go through! Smile!

Eidōlon "Idol" What is Yours?

Idol
Definition:
1: a representation or symbol of an object of worship; broadly: a false god
2 a: a likeness of something obsolete: pretender, imposter
3: a form or appearance visible but without substance
4: an object of extreme devotion
5: a false conception: fallacy

“If you love anything better than God you are idolaters: if there is anything you would not give up for God it is your idol: if there is anything that you seek with greater fervor than you seek the glory of God, that is your idol, and conversion means a turning from every idol.”
–Charles H. Spurgeon

Can I ask do you have any Idols in your life? My life before I came to Christ, I had many idols. I want to give you a list of my idols and I want you to see and exam your life to see if you have any idols. First, I broke the first and second commandment, you shall have no other gods before me and you shall not make for yourself an idol. For twenty five years of my life I was my god. I served “Myself” and did not want to submit to the God of the Bible. I wanted to serve a God that all “loved” and all “Forgiving” that suited my needs. If you examine what I just said, the God I was creating, it was breaking that second commandment, because that God doesn’t exist. It was a figment of my imagination. Second, I would like to submit now that the God of the Bible has those two attributes that I just mentioned, but he was so many other attributes. He was “Holy” I could go for pages about the Holiness of God. Next, he was “Just”, he demanded complete perfect Justice. Then, he was full of “Wrath”, he hates Sin. Then, he was “Righteous” he could do no wrong. Next, he was full of “Mercy” and “Loving-kindness”. Those are the major attributes of God and I just wanted to clarify that before we went on.
Now that we established the beginning, lets move on to my previous idols in my life. Growing up, I loved sports and basketball. For 15 some years, I told many people that “Ms. Spalding” was my god. (She really was!) Ms. Spalding was my name of my basketball. I thought about her, desired her, and lived for her and where she would take me. Then, when I got into my college years, the weekend god was my idol. I lived for Friday nights and Saturday nights. I served the Bing-beer god. I coveted her for a good 10 years of my life. Next, it was the lake-god. For 5 some years, I earned for going to the lake and relaxing and serving her. I lived for her each week. Do you see who I was serving? May I ask have you ever or are serving any of these idols? It wasn’t until my mid-twenties that I surrendered over my gods and repented of those idols and started to serve the “Living-God (Jesus Christ)” and trusted in his sacrifice for my sins personally. I started to read my Bible and obey its teaching and commit my life totally to Jesus Christ my Savior. Have you repented & trusted Christ yet? He will make you a new creation from the inside out. He did it for me and guess what; he is waiting for you to do it too. Listen to that, you hear that, it was another breath of air that he gave you. He is waiting for you to Repent. He just gave you another second of air. He is waiting. But one day your breath will be too late. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but for all to come to repentance “2 peter 3:9”. So, I plead with you now that you have read this, go and make a list on a piece of paper all your idols. Then, offer all them over to god to crush them and serve him the rest of your life. He wants to save you from them and His wrath that he will pour on you when you die, if you are not in Christ Jesus. He promises. But he is full of loving-kindness and mercy, but is waiting for you to come serve him ALONE! He is a Jealous God and the One True God. He is the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last and no other. I have committed, now until I die I will continue to fight these idols and continue to put my hand over their mouths!

Doctrines Exposed Watchtower Society AKA Jehovah Witnesses Organization Are NOT the SAME as CHRISTIANITY

Jesus Christ
The Watchtower says: “The foremost angel, both in power and authority, is the archangel, Jesus Christ, also called Michael.” The Watchtower, Nov. 1, 1995, p.8
The Bible says: Jesus is “....so much better than the angels....Let all God’s angels worship Him”.

Hebrews 1:4,6 (see also John 1:1, 5:18; Titus 2:13)
The Soul of Man
The Watchtower says: “The soul dies; it does not live on after death.”

What Does God Require of Us?, 1996, p.23
Jesus says: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.”

Matthew 10:28 (see also Revelation 6:9,10; 2 Corinthians 5:8)

Salvation
The Watchtower says: “....come to Jehovah’s organization for salvation....”

The Watchtower, Nov. 15, 1981, p.21
Jesus says: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6 (see also Acts 4:12)
Resurrection
The Watchtower says: “Jesus died and was resurrected by God as a spirit creature....”

What Does God Require of Us?, 1996, p.7
Jesus says: “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up....He was speaking of the temple of His body.”

John 2:19-21 (see also Luke 24:36-39)
Works
The Watchtower says: “To get one’s name written in that Book of Life will depend upon one’s works.”

The Watchtower, July 1, 1947, p.204
The Bible says: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith....it is the gift of God, not by works.”

Ephesians 2:8,9 (see also Titus 3:5)
Hell
The Watchtower says: “God’s Word says nothing about eternal torment of lost souls in a fiery hell as being the punishment for wickedness."

The Watchtower, March 1, 1960, p.134
Jesus says: “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels."

Matthew 25:41 (see also Mark 9:42-48)

Faith
The Watchtower says: “Put faith in a victorious organization!”

The Watchtower, March 1, 1979, p.1
The Bible says: “The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God.”

Galatians 2:20 (see also Mark 11:22)
Second Coming of Christ
The Watchtower says: “So it was in 1914 that Jesus returned invisibly, without public fanfare and with only his faithful servants being aware of his return.”

The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived, 1991, section 132
The Bible says: “Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him.”

Revelation 1:7 (see also Matthew 24:27-30)
A Tainted Bible
To help justify the Jehovah’s Witnesses unbiblical teachings, the Watchtower Society began publishing its own version of the bible in 1950. This unique rendering, called The New World Translation, is hailed by Jehovah’s Witnesses as the most accurate translation available today. What Witnesses don’t know is that many key verses in The New World Translation have been altered, mistranslated and deliberately changed to support the Society’s biased teachings. In particular, the identity of Jesus Christ as God has been severely manipulated, in order to reduce Him to a created being, inferior to the Father.
For example, instead of rendering Jesus (the Word) as God in John 1:1, as all accurate bible translations do, The New World Translation renders it: “In [the] beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god” (emphasis added). Reducing Jesus to “a god” is a heretical distortion of the Greek text and has been sharply criticized by prominent New Testament Greek scholars. In fact, none of the men on the New World Translation Committee had any working knowledge of the ancient biblical languages. One man on the committee, Frederick Franz, was acclaimed by the Watchtower as having an “outstanding reputation as an eminent Bible scholar”. The Watchtower, August 1, 1977, p.463 However, in a public court trial in Scotland, he admitted that he couldn’t speak Hebrew nor translate a simple verse from the book of Genesis into the ancient language. Taken from Why the Name Jehovah’s Witnesses?, Personal Freedom Outreach, St. Louis, Missouri
A Non-Prophet Organization
The Watchtower Society boldly makes the exclusive claim to be God’s prophet on earth,The Watchtower, April 1, 1972, p.197; All Scripture Is Inspired of God and Beneficial, 1990 ed., p.9 the only organization that God uses to communicate to mankind today. The fact is, however, the Watchtower Society has made numerous false predictions regarding the beginning of the battle of Armageddon, the end of the world and the establishment of God’s Kingdom on earth. The end was first predicted in 1914 The Time is at Hand, Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 2, 1907 ed., p.101 by the Watchtower’s founder, C.T. Russell. When it didn’t occur the date was changed to 1915, The Time is at Hand, Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 2, 1927 ed, p.101 and later to 1918 The Finished Mystery, Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 7, 1917, p.485 Under the leadership of the second president, Judge Rutherford, an aggressive campaign called Millions Now Living Will Never Die was launched. In this campaign it was predicted that in 1925, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and many other Old Testament prophets, would rise from the dead and appear as perfected humans on the earth. Millions Now Living Will Never Die, 1920, pp.89,90 After this embarrassing failure the Watchtower carried on, still continuing to set dates for the end. Other prophetic years, ending in disappointment, were 1941, The Watchtower, Sept. 15, 1941, p.288 1975 The Watchtower, March 15, 1980, p.17 and 2000. The Watchtower (original magazine), Jan. 1, 1989, p.12 [Note: bound volume and CD changed the words “20th century” to “day”]
Knowing that exposure of its flawed past would be enough to convince truth-seeking Jehovah’s Witnesses to jump ship, the Watchtower conceals much of this information from its members. In addition, it cleverly trains them to view the more well-known prophetic disasters only as mistakes made by fallible men. However, the bible is clear and very direct on the matter. Deuteronomy 18:20-22 plainly warns us that those who claim to be prophets of God, yet make incorrect predictions, are false prophets that should be avoided. Although the Watchtower continues to make light of the adverse repercussions of its erroneous past, sadly, many loyal Jehovah's Witnesses were so convinced of these prophecies that they sold houses and businesses, putting off marriage, children and schooling to serve the Watchtower Society in the final days before Armageddon.
Winds of Change
Further proof that the Watchtower Society is not God’s channel of communication to man can be demonstrated by reviewing some of the doctrinal changes it has made throughout its history. A Jehovah’s Witness who was in good standing with the organization 70 years ago would be promptly expelled today if he still believed the same doctrines as once taught to him. Even a Witness currently going door-to-door has no assurance that his present beliefs won’t change in the future, making what is being taught as today’s truth, tomorrow’s error. Some changes made over the years are as follows: References for doctrinal changes are available by contacting www.towertotruth.net

Early Years
Now
Christ's Invisible Presence Began in 1874
Christ's Invisible Presence Began in 1914
Jesus Should be Worshipped
Jesus Should not be Worshipped
Smoking Permitted
Smoking Forbidden
Saluting the Flag andVoting Permitted
Saluting the Flag andVoting Forbidden
Jesus Died on a Cross
Jesus Died on a Stake
Jesus is not the Archangel Michael
Jesus is the Archangel Michael
All Witnesses will go toHeaven
Most Witnesses will LiveForever on Earth
Blood transfusions Allowed
Blood transfusions Forbidden
Called God, Lord
Call God, Jehovah
Celebrated Holidays
Holidays not Celebrated
Could go to War
Can not go to War
Vaccination Forbidden
Vaccination Allowed

Although these changes and reversals are alarming to the average person, to a Jehovah’s Witness this is one of the proofs that the Watchtower Society is God’s visible organization on earth. The Society instructs them that truth is revealed in installments and that the above changes are actually just minor adjustments progressing towards further light. To support this, one will frequently hear a Witness quote Proverbs 4:18: “But the path of the righteous ones is like the bright light that is getting lighter and lighter until the day is firmly established” (NWT). In reality, however, the Watchtower is pulling Proverbs 4:18 completely out of its proper context in order to excuse and explain away over 120 years of contradictions, errors and false teachings.

Do you THINK YOU will go to Heaven? Let's See Shall We?

God has Fixed a day in which He will judge the world in Righteousness. Let's first examine God's Attributes. God is Holy, that means No Sin. He is Perfect, No error or falseness in Him. God is Just and Good, that means he is not corrupt or wrong. God is Full of Wrath and hates Sin. He is Full of Loving Kindness and Mercy and has tremendous Grace. So lets go to your judgement day shall we? First, I want to show you a mirror how God sees you. God's mirror he tells us is his 10 commandments. First, Have you ever told a lie? Yes, What do you call a person if they tell a lie? Liar... Have you ever stolen anything, even small or as a child? Yes, What do you call a person who steals? A Thief. Have you ever tooks God's name in Vain? Yes, Thats called Blasphemy. Very Serious God says he who takes his name in Vain will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. Have you ever put God first in your Life? No, thats breaking the first commandment. So with your own admission... Your a liar, theif blasphemer idolator at heart. If God should judge you according to the 10 commandments, would you be innocent or guilty? As James 2:10 says, whoever breaks one commandment is guilty of all. So with that said, So as a Guilty Sinner the mirror of the 10 commandments shows your conidition. You are fealthy, dirty full of Sin Sinner and if God is Good and Just he must punish the guilty. Another way to put it is... Say you are standing before a Judge and the verdict is in, you are guilty of the crime and the Judge asks you is there anything you want to say? You say to the judge, I'm sorry of the crimes I committed but, if the Judge is good and not corrupt as the Judge of the World, do you think he would let that guilty man go? No... But their is a fine for the crime. The Bible says all liars and blaphemer's will have there part in the Lake of Fire that is Hell. So, we have a dilemma don't we? So, if God should judge me according to the 10 commandments and I'm guilty of breaking them I would end of going to hell.... Yikes, that concerns me and it should concern you too! But you know what God did so I would not have to go to hell? He came to earth as born from a virgin, live a perfect sinless life, died a HORRIBLE Death on the Cross, and Rose 3 days later to conquer Death. He is ALIVE today and to prove that he has given us his Word (the Bible) and their was over 500 witnesses that seen him after he rose from the dead. Plus 12 apostles died Terrible Sacrifical deaths to testify the Truth of what Jesus had Risen. So, lets go back to the court room. We are guilty of the crime and the judge is about to pass judgement and all of the sudden a man walks into the court room and says I will Pay for the Fine of this man, and he can go free. The Bible says that Jesus Christ on the Cross did that 2000 years ago and conquered death to give us Life. That is the Good News, so we don't have to go to Hell. Have you ever wondered why that "Good News" was called that? But he commands that you Repent from your Sins and Trust in Him Alone. What he did on the Cross was for you. You must Humble yourself and Believe in what Jesus did for you on the Cross Personally. He did for your SINS there at Calvary. What a Amazing God 100 percent Man and 100 percent God as the incarnate God-Man Jesus Christ. May you come to Salvation today. Take that test. Open your Bible up to Exodus chapter 20 and take the 10 commandments test and see how you do. Don't let your Pride get in the way and answer them honestly. We deserve Hell and Judgement from God, but by his AMAZING Mercy and Grace we get to Live on his Clock and his grace, because he has fixed a day that he will judge us according to what we do with this life to glorify HIM ALONE or the time we waste on ourself. Check this out, Nature listens to Him, Stars listen to Him, Oceans listen to him, but Humanity has gone estray and has did there own thing. He commands all men and women to REPENT and put their Faith and Trust in Jesus Christ Alone. It's like this, you are in a airplane, their is a para-shoot and its offered to you and you know the plane is going done. What would you do? Would you just believe in the para-shoot that it's there or would you put it on? You would put it on. Just like the Bible says to put on the Lord Jesus Christ that he Will save you from the crash to come that is death. So you will live!!! Life is only is Jesus Christ. You must Repent, that means 1.) Agree with God you are going the wrong way. 2.) Stop and Apologize to God 3.)Turn Around from your sin and live for God 4.)Go the other way 5.)Not to stop till you get there. Name a food that you love? Now, you know that food is going to kill you cause it is full of poison. Would you eat it anymore? No. The reason you stop is, you know you will die if you eat it. That is repentance. You must repent of the sin in your life and give your life to God. Once you do that the Bible says you will become Born-Again and a new person. God will give you a NEW Heart full of the Holy Spirit and your desires to please HIM will grow. You will grow in righteousness and want to glorify God. Read Galatians 5:22 and the fruits of the spirit if you are growing or not. May you examine yourself and by God's grace give you a New Heart! I pray for you!!!!

3 Men of God's True Glory and Faithfulness

Turkish church requests prayer after three Christians martyred in MalatyaApril 26, 2007
On April 18, five Muslims entered a Christian publishing company and killed three believers in the southeastern province of Malatya. Two of the victims were Turkish converts from Islam and the third man was a German citizen who had lived in Turkey for 10 years. News reports said four of the attackers admitted that the killings were motivated by both “nationalist and religious feelings.”
Below is a letter received by The Voice of the Martyrs from a church in Turkey.
The Voice of the Martyrs has already been actively involved in assisting the families of these courageous Christians. We encourage you to pray for them as they grieve, and to pray that this will be a significant turning point for the gospel in Turkey.
“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write...
“Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” (Rev. 2: 8-11)
Pray that God will use the testimony of our brothers, who were faithful until death, to build His Kingdom.
A letter to the Global Church from The Protestant Church of Smyrna
This past week has been filled with much sorrow. Many of you have heard by now of our devastating loss here in an event that took place in Malatya, a Turkish province 300 miles northeast of Antioch, the city where believers were first called Christians (Acts 11:26).
On Wednesday morning, April 18, 2007, 46 year old German Christian and father of three Tilmann Geske prepared to go to his office, kissing his wife goodbye and taking a moment to hug his son and give him the priceless memory, “Goodbye, son. I love you.”
Tilmann rented an office space from Zirve Publishing. Zirve was also the location of the Malatya Evangelist Church office. A ministry of the church, Zirve prints and distributes Christian literature to Malatya and nearby cities in Eastern Turkey. In another area of town, 35 year old Pastor Necati Aydin, father of two, said goodbye to his wife, leaving for the office as well. They had a morning Bible Study and prayer meeting that some other believers in town would also be attending. Ugur Yuksel likewise made his way to the Bible study.
None of these three men knew that what awaited them at the Bible study was the ultimate testing and application of their faith, which would conclude with their entrance into glory to receive their crown of righteousness from Christ and honor from all the saints awaiting them in the Lord’s presence.
On the other side of town, ten young men all under 20 years old put into place final arrangements for their ultimate act of faith, living out their love for Allah and hatred of infidels who they felt undermined Islam.
On Resurrection Sunday, five of these men had been to a by-invitation-only evangelistic service that Pastor Necati and his men had arranged at a hotel conference room in the city. The men were known to the believers as “seekers.” No one knows what happened in the hearts of those men as they listened to the gospel. Were they touched by the Holy Spirit? Were they convicted of sin? Did they hear the gospel in their heart of hearts? Today we only have the beginning of their story.
These young men, one of whom is the son of a mayor in the Province of Malatya, are part of a tarikat, or a group of “faithful believers” in Islam. Tarikat membership is highly respected here; it’s like a fraternity membership. In fact, it is said that no one can get into public office without membership in a tarikat. These young men all lived in the same dorm, all preparing for university entrance exams.
The young men got guns, bread knives, ropes and towels ready for their final act of service to Allah. They knew there would be a lot of blood. They arrived in time for the Bible Study, around 10 o’clock.
They arrived, and apparently the Bible Study began. Reportedly, after Necati read a chapter from the Bible the assault began. The boys tied Ugur, Necati, and Tilmann’s hands and feet to chairs and as they videoed their work on their cellphones, they brutally tortured our brothers for almost three hours.
Neighbors in workplaces near the print house said later they had heard yelling, but assumed the owners were having a domestic argument so they did not respond.
Meanwhile, another believer Gokhan and his wife had a leisurely morning. He slept in till 10, ate a long breakfast and finally around 12:30 he and his wife arrived at the office. The door was locked from the inside, and his key would not work. He phoned and though it had connection on his end he did not hear the phone ringing inside. He called cell phones of his brothers and finally Ugur answered his phone. “We are not at the office. Go to the hotel meeting. We are there. We will come there,” he said cryptically. As Ugur spoke Gokhan heard in the telephone’s background weeping and a strange snarling sound.
He phoned the police, and the nearest officer arrived in about five minutes. He pounded on the door, “Police, open up!” Initially the officer thought it was a domestic disturbance. At that point they heard another snarl and a gurgling moan. The police understood that sound as human suffering, prepared the clip in his gun and tried over and over again to burst through the door. One of the frightened assailants unlocked the door for the policeman, who entered to find a grisly scene.
Tilmann and Necati had been slaughtered. Ugur’s throat was likewise slit and he was barely alive.
Three assailants in front of the policeman dropped their weapons.
Meanwhile Gokhan heard a sound of yelling in the street. Someone had fallen from their third story office. Running down, he found a man on the ground, whom he later recognized, named Emre Gunaydin. He had massive head trauma and, strangely, was snarling. He had tried to climb down the drainpipe to escape, and losing his balance had plummeted to the ground. It seems that he was the main leader of the attackers. Another assailant was found hiding on a lower balcony.
To untangle the web we need to back up six years. In April 2001, the National Security Council of Turkey (Milli Guvenlik Kurulu) began to consider evangelical Christians as a threat to national security, on equal footing as Al Quaida and PKK terrorism. Statements made in the press by political leaders, columnists and commentators have fueled a hatred against ‘missionaries’ who they claim bribe young people to change their religion.
After that decision in 2001, attacks and threats on churches, pastors and Christians began. Bombings, physical attacks, verbal and written abuse are only some of the ways Christians are being targetted. Most significant is the use of media propaganda.
From December 2005, after having a long meeting regarding the Christian threat, the wife of Former Prime Minister Ecevit, historian Ilber Ortayli, Professor Hasan Unsal, Politician Ahmet Tan and writer/propogandist Aytunc Altindal, each in their own profession began a campaign to bring the public’s attention to the looming threat of Christians who sought to “buy their children’s souls”. Hidden cameras in churches have taken church service footage and used it sensationally to promote fear and antagonism toward Christianity.
In an official televised response from Ankara, the Interior Minister of Turkey smirked as he spoke of the attacks on our brothers in Malatya. Amid public outrage and protests against the event and in favor of freedom of religion and freedom of thought, media and official comments ring with the same message, “We hope you have learned your lesson. We do not want Christians here.”
It appears that this was an organized attack initiated by an unknown adult tarikat leader. As in the Hrant Dink murder in January 2007, and a Catholic priest Andrea Santoro in February 2006, minors are being used to commit religious murders because public sympathy for youth is strong and they face lower penalties than an adult convicted of the same crime. Even the parents of these children are in favor of the acts. The mother of the 16 year old boy who killed the Catholic priest Andrea Santoro looked at the cameras as her son was going to prison and said, “he will serve time for Allah.”
The young men involved in the killing are currently in custody. Today news reported that they would be tried as terrorists, so their age would not affect the strict penalty. Assailant Emre Gunaydin is still in intensive care. The investigation centers around him and his contacts and they say the case will fall apart if he does not recover.
The Church in Turkey responded in a way that honored God as dozens of believers and pastors flew in as fast as they could to stand by the small church of Malatya and encourage the believers, take care of legal issues, and represent Christians to the media.
When Susanne expressed her wish to bury her husband in Malatya there were many complications. However, in the end Tilmann was buried in an old Armenian graveyard on April 20th.
Ugur was buried by his family in an Alevi Muslim ceremony in his hometown of Elazig, his believing fiance watching from the shadows as his family and friends refused to accept in death the faith Ugur had so long professed and died for.
Necati’s funeral took place in his hometown of Izmir, the city where he came to faith. The darkness does not understand the light. Though the churches expressed their forgiveness for the event, Christians were not to be trusted. Before they would load the coffin onto the plane from Malatya, it went through two separate xray exams to make sure it was not loaded with explosives. This is not a usual procedure for Muslim coffins.
Necati’s funeral was a beautiful event. Like a glimpse of heaven, hundreds of Turkish Christians and workers came to show their love for Christ, and their honor for this man chosen to die for Christ. Necati’s wife Shemsa told the world, “His death was full of meaning, because he died for Christ and he lived for Christ… Necati was a gift from God. I feel honored that he was in my life, I feel crowned with honor. I want to be worthy of that honor.”
Boldly the believers took their stand at Necati’s funeral, facing the risks of being seen publicly and likewise becoming targets. As expected, the anti-terror police attended and videotaped everyone attending the funeral for their future use. The service took place outside at Buca Baptist church, and he was buried in a small Christian graveyard in the outskirts of Izmir.
Two assistant Governors of Izmir were there solemnly watching the event from the front row. Dozens of news agencies were there documenting the events with live news and photographs. Who knows the impact the funeral had on those watching? This is the beginning of their story as well. Pray for them.
In an act that hit front pages in the largest newspapers in Turkey, Susanne Geske in a television interview expressed her forgiveness. She did not want revenge, she told reporters. “Oh God, forgive them for they know not what they do,” she said, wholeheartedly agreeing with the words of Christ on Calvary (Luke 23:34).
In a country where blood-for-blood revenge is as normal as breathing, many many reports have come to the attention of the church of how this comment of Susanne Geske has changed lives. One columnist wrote of her comment, “She said in one sentence what 1000 missionaries in 1000 years could never do.”
Many foreigners in Malatya will most likely move out, as their families and children have become publicly identified as targets to the hostile city. The remaining 10 believers are in hiding. What will happen to this church, this light in the darkness? Most likely it will go underground. Pray for wisdom, that Turkish brothers from other cities will go to lead the leaderless church. Should we not be concerned for that great city of Malatya, a city that does not know what it is doing? (Jonah 4:11)
When our Pastor Fikret Bocek went with a brother to give a statement to the Security Directorate on Monday they were ushered into the Anti-Terror Department. On the wall was a huge chart covering the whole wall listing all the terrorist cells in Izmir, categorized. In one prominent column were listed all the evangelical churches in Izmir. The darkness does not understand the light. “These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also.” (Acts 17:6)
Please pray for the Church in Turkey. “Don’t pray against persecution, pray for perseverence,” urges Pastor Fikret Bocek.
The Church is better having lost our brothers; the fruit in our lives, the renewed faith, the burning desire to spread the gospel to quench more darkness in Malatya …all these are not to be regretted. Pray that we stand strong against external opposition and especially pray that we stand strong against internal struggles with sin, our true debilitating weakness.
This we know. Christ Jesus was there when our brothers were giving their lives for Him. He was there, like He was when Stephen was being stoned in the sight of Saul of Tarsus.
Someday the video of the deaths of our brothers may reveal more to us about the strength that we know Christ gave them to endure their last cross, about the peace the Spirit of God endowed them with to suffer for their beloved Savior. But we know He did not leave their side. We know their minds were full of Scripture strengthening them to endure, as darkness tried to subdue the unsubduable Light of the Gospel. We know, in whatever way they were able, with a look or a word, they encouraged one another to stand strong. We know they knew they would soon be with Christ.
We don’t know the details. We don’t know the kind of justice that will or will not be served on this earth.
But we pray-- and urge you to pray-- that someday at least one of those five boys will come to faith because of the testimony in death of Tilmann Geske, who gave his life as a foreign Christian in Turkey, and the testimonies in death of Necati Aydin and Ugur Yuksel, the first martyrs for Christ out of the Turkish Church.
*********************************************************************************
Tilman was stabbed 156 times, Necati 99 times and Ugur's stabs were too numerous to count. They were disemboweled, and their intestines sliced up in front of their eyes. They were emasculated and watched as those body parts were destroyed. Fingers were chopped off, their noses and mouths and anuses were sliced open. Possibly the worst part was watching as their brothers were likewise tortured. Finally, their throats were sliced from ear to ear, heads practically decapitated. ***********************************************************

NEW IDENTITY

Check this out… Read 1 Samuel 18: 1-9 it is the story about Jonathan and David. How did Old Testament people identify themselves as in a covenant? Their ROBES identified themselves. Look what great picture this is with the Old Testament then the New Testament and then Us (Born-Again Christians) with our Personal Savior Jesus Christ. Check this out… Jonathan made a covenant with David. Then Jesus Christ made his covenant with humanity. “Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself (different role = identity) taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. (Philippians 2:5-7 NASB) Then we have us as a New Covenant with Christ. It’s a picture of how we identify our self with God now. Let me challenge you…. Have you ever had a NEW IDENTITY? Have you had a changed heart sent down from Heaven by God Hand? If you haven’t stare at the Feet of Messiah on the Cross and picture God’s Wrath poured out on Jesus Christ for your personal Sin! The Sin that if you have never repented and Put your faith in Jesus Christ, that Sin will receive payment with the Judge when you die. So I beg you to get right with the Lord Today. Today is the day of Salvation! Focus on the Cross-! God Bless!

THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST - 1 PETER 1:19

Standing at the foot of the cross, we see hands and feet and side all distilling crimson streams of "precious blood." It is "precious" because of its redeeming and atoning efficacy. By it the sins of Christ's people are atoned for; they are redeemed from under the law; they are reconciled to God, made one with Him. Christ's blood is also "precious" in its cleansing power; it cleanses from all sin. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow."1 Through Jesus' blood there is not a spot left upon any believer; no wrinkle nor any such thing remains. O precious blood that makes us clean, removing the stains of our iniquity and permitting us to stand accepted in the Beloved despite the many ways in which we have rebelled against our God. The blood of Christ is also "precious" in its preserving power. We are safe from the destroying angel under the sprinkled blood. Remember, it is God's seeing the blood that is the true reason for our being spared. Here is comfort for us when the eye of faith is dim, for God's eye is still the same. The blood of Christ is "precious" also in its sanctifying influence. The same blood that justifies by taking away sin also quickens the new nature and leads it onward to subdue sin and to obey the commands of God. There is no greater motive for holiness than that which streams from the veins of Jesus. And "precious," unspeakably precious, is this blood because it has an overcoming power. It is written, "And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb."2 How could they do otherwise? He who fights with the precious blood of Jesus fights with a weapon that cannot know defeat. The blood of Jesus! Sin dies at its presence; death ceases to be death: Heaven's gates are opened. The blood of Jesus! We shall march on, conquering and to conquer, so long as we can trust its power! CHARLES H. SPURGEON

Exposing Jehovah Witness Doctrine

Jehovah's Witness at Your Door
Doctrinal Differences
The Trinity
They Say: There is no Trinity - Let God be True, p. 100-101; Make Sure of All Things p. 386.
The Church Says: The doctrine of the Trinity is Biblically based. (Matthew 28:19; John 14:26; John 15:26; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Peter 1:2)

The Holy Spirit
They Say: The Holy Spirit is God's impersonal active force - The Watchtower, June 1, 1952, p. 24
The Church Says: The Holy Spirit is not impersonal. (John 14:26; John 16:13 ; Acts 10:19)

Jesus and Michael
They Say: Jesus was Michael the archangel who became a man, Jehovah's first creation was his 'only-begotten Son' and was used by Jehovah in creating all other things - Aid to Bible Understanding, pp. 390-391. The Watchtower, May 15, 1963, p. 307; The New Word, 284.
The Church Says: Jesus is the Creator not a created being. (John 1:1-3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:15-17)

The Resurrection
They Say: Jesus did not rise from the dead in his physical body - Awake! July 22, 1973, p. 4.
The Church Says: Jesus did rise in Body. (Luke 24:36; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8;John 20:24-29)

The Cross
They Say: Jesus did not die on a cross but on a stake - The Truth Shall Make You Free, p. 300.
The Church Says: Jesus was crucified on a cross. (John 19:17-19 ; 1 Corinthians 1:18)

Those Who Will Be Saved
They Say: Only their church members will be saved - The Watchtower, Feb. 15, 1979, p. 30.
The Church Says: Whoever believes that Jesus is Lord will be saved. (John 3:16 John 14:4-6; Romans 3:23-26)

Hell
They Say: There is no hell of fire where the wicked are punished - Let God be True, p. 79, 60.
The Church Says: All who deny Jesus as Lord will one day know first hand there is a Hell. (Matthew 25:41; Mark 9:44; Rev. 1:17-18; 20:10, 14-15; 21:8)

Those Who Will Enter Heaven
They Say: Only 144,000 Jehovah's Witness go to heaven - Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, pp. 166-167, 361; Let God be True, p 121.
The Church Says: All who believe that Jesus is Lord will enter into Heaven.(John 14:1-5, 23; Matthew 16:19)

Here are some other beliefs they practice:
Blood transfusions are a sin.
The soul ceases to exist after death.
They refuse to vote.
They will not salute the flag.
They will not sing the "Star Spangled Banner."
They do not celebrate Christmas or birthdays.
Their leadership will not allow them to serve in the armed forces.
Those that leave the organization are known as apostates. Jehovah's Witnesses cannot talk to them or even greet them on the street.
For many years it was taught that Blacks were that color as a result of God's curse on Canaan.
Lying is part of "theocratic war strategy." A Jehovah's Witness can lie to someone if they are not entitled to know the truth.
Periodically Jehovah's Witness doctrine will change. This is known as "new light."
Are these the guidelines that an Awesome, Gracious, Merciful, Loving, All Knowing God, would give you? NOT!
Jehovah's Witnesses are trained in the art of verbal battle. Do not engage them. Pray first and share the scriptures verse by verse, point by point. Share in stern love, you will disarm them.
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter 3:15

Defend Your Faith With The Word!

All Scripture Is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. 2 Timothy. 3:16

Cite This Page:
As Chosen to Serve Ministries. Jehovah's Witness at Your Door. Blue Letter Bible. 19 Aug. 2002.
12 Apr 2007..

Examination & Truth

You have to Answer these 2 Questions
1.) What is Examination of Self?
2.) What is Truth?

It’s been 3 years now as a Born-Again Christian. My challenge to anyone reading this would be EXAM YOURSELF and YOUR BELIEFS! Check this out… Say your Great-Granddaddy was brought up under this denomination so-and-so. Next, your Grand-Poppy followed that denomination… He had no questions, just BELIEVES his “BELIEF” because his Daddy believed it. FULL TRUST IN DADDY. Do you see where I am going with this? No examination, just TRADITION and STRONG “TRUSTING IN MAN BELIEF”. Now, that brings us to this Marvelous Question. Ding… Dong… Ding… Dong…
How do you know what they Believe in Correct?
Are you ONE of these people?
Do you know you are in the Truth and in the Right Faith?

Let’s see what God’s Word Says in HIS Word (the Bible) shall we:
Take this Test IF you think you are in the Faith…OK?
Cheerio!
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test (2 Corinthians 13:5,6 TNIV).
We are suppose to “Test all Things” 1 Thessalonians 5:21 NKJV says. As growing up I never got the “Church Thing”. I hated going every Sunday because I never got it… I Felt sometimes sick to my stomach not understanding what was going on. I caught on with lots of the Repetitious Traditional stuff, but never understood that stuff that came out of that Bible. That confused me a lot. For those people reading this, how did you do on the Faith Test? Pass or Fail? It all starts there! True Humility must come from that question to move on forward, no matter what.
Next, we must go to Truth right? I think the greatest words out of a man’s mouth could have been Pontius Pilate’s. He said, “What is Truth?” (John 18:38) Have you ever asked this question Sir or Madam? To understand what Life is all about you HAVE TO ASK THAT! Period! Listen to this people, Jesus said, “I am the WAY, the TRUTH, the LIFE, no one comes to the Father but through ME” (John 14:6 NASB). Wow, what an AMAZING STATEMENT HUH? What a statement… That would contradict so many religions out there right? Check this out…
1.) All other Religions are Right
2.) Jesus Christ is Right
3.) There BOTH Wrong
4.) But they can’t be BOTH RIGHT
*Jesus Christ doesn’t allow for it*
So then, comes a dilemma with believing all roads lead to heaven OR your own Personal belief in God.
As for now till next time… Read the Gospel of John with an Open Heart and Read it Objectively and examine it and test what is said. OK Chap or Madam…

To a KJV-Onlyism Follower

If someone tells you that they are KJV-Only, give them this to SUCK ON! smile...

1.) What was the "Real" and "Perserved" WORD OF GOD prior to 1611?
-Was the Geneva bible a good one?
-How about the Bishop's Bible?
Tyndale's Bible?
Wycliff's Bible?

2.) What was the "Perserved Text" in the year 1000?

3.) How about before the English language Evolved?

If you believe this view then, you must ACCEPT:
(1.) KJV translators as inerrant
(2.) God Inspired-Men
(3.) Trust in Roman Catholic humanist scholar and priest Desiderius Erasmus being a divine guided to creation of Textus Receptus.

KJV-ONLY'S sometimes uses famous Prince of Preachers to support their claim, but let's look what Mr. Charles H. Spurgeon really says:
In his autobiography, recounting the laying of the foundation-stone of the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Spurgeon explains why they chose a Grecian design for the building: "Greek is the sacred tongue, and Greek is the Baptist's tongue; we may be beaten in our own version [the KJV], sometimes; but in Greek, never" (Autobiography, vol. 2, p. 327).
Also read what Mr. Spurgeon preached on from John 3:14,15 (Sept. 27, 1857) sermon.
Just something to ABSORB on the tongue!

Troy

Righteousness

Acts 17