A Personal Encounter with Jehovah Witnesses this past Saturday morning-Are you prepared to know what to say to them?
I decided to do this site today (Monday, May 4th of 2009) after getting "another" visit from the JW. Also, a "brother in Christ" just e-mailed me about his "visit" to a nearby Kingdom Hall. I'm anxious to hear about his story! I decided to equip myself better for the next visit by re "search-googl..ing" some good sites and add them below. While chatting a good hour (10a-11am-an unexpected visit, which shows we need to have that "feet of readiness"-Ephesians 6) with them (2 of them) this past weekend:
They quoted Jesus' "Our Father, who art in Heaven..." famous "sample" prayer, which I told them that "sample prayer" about "Kingdom (Heaven/Eternity) will come" can also be interpreted that It'll not only come tomorrow, but TODAY too! I stated, "We need to live for today" despite all the "troubles" (e.g. "swine flu") we hear about all the time. I was remembered this verse...
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."-Hebrews 13:8
I (Sal) shared this verse after "encouraging them" about the "same power that rose Him from the grave is within us" (from Hillsong London). They look at me as if they never heard of it or wondering where it was in the Bible. I would later find out (search down below) that this book-Hebrews-is a good book to share with JW's! Unfortunately, I was the one that ended our meeting as I stood up in the middle of this great conversation or Bible study time, which I look back and don't know why-probably was trying to finish my "Saturday" morning chores (I was doing laundry that morning). It seem like they were "thirsty" as their doctrine-belief was "dry". I prayed that evening for them and ended-up e-mailing one (met before through a community gathering) of them about a topic that seem to spark their interest-"Fireproof the Movie". Earlier, we had a talk about many "marriage problems" that I have encountered with many people "lately". As I write this, it seems like this "issue" on "marriage" has had a deep scar in these two individuals. Later that day, I shared this with a brother in Christ at this monthly get-together. He told me that when he had JW's come, he stumped them with this question-"What made you join the JW's?". The individual JW started to "open-up" about his alcoholism. I'll try to remember to ask this questions or something close and personal. Then this can be an opportunity for "Believers" to share their own testimony-instead of trying to get into a "theological debate". Please pray that the "seeds of faith" that has been sown in their lives will continue to be watered and the "Truth will set them free"...God bless!!
Q: What have been your experiences with them? Are you ready to know what to say to them? I would love to hear your personal stories. Feel free to share them at=> Goodnewseverybodycom's Weblog
Replies:
From:
"anonymous"
Jehova's Witnesses, Jesus, and Jehovah
"Revelation 1
Way Of The Master Jehovah Witness Part 1
2007 Jehovah's Witness Convention
Miscellaneous
Watchtower Comments - God's Channel for Jehovah's Witnesses (special...
Hebrews 1
The Son Superior to Angels
" 1In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
5For to which of the angels did God ever say,
Growing up Jehovah's Witness Part 1
To:
"Sal Monteagudo"
Hey Sal,
Thanks for the encouraging stories. I've had talks with one of my co-workers who's a JW. He doesn't believe in a literal damning Hell. He asked why would a loving,merciful God send anyone to hell? I was able to show him that this was true the following day after looking up Matthew 24-25 and Rev 19. He also believes that only the 144,000 will have the Holy Spirit, which isn't even true according to what Jesus said before he ascended and its also recorded in Acts. Another common point is that JW's don't believe Jesus is literally God even though they say he is the Son of God. Their JW version mistranslates John 1:1 "in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God" to "Word was a god". I had a discussion with Pastor "anonymous" about it and it was quite a technical explanation which I still need to research more. Feel free to post this on the website.
-"anonymous"
Recommended Resources
"Are you a Jehovah's Witness? Have you read Revelation? No, I mean have you really read it, out of your own NWT Bible? See what the Watchtower hides from you."
*see www.mikechristiancorner.com
Prologue
1The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.
Greetings and doxology
4John,
To the seven churches in the province of Asia:
Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits[a] before his throne, 5and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
7Look, he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.
8"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
One like a Son of Man
9I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea."
12I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man,"[b]dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. ...-Revelation 1
"Way Of The Master Jehovah Witness Part 1 "
"Leon and Lin, of Evangelism Team, Jerry, of Challenge Ministries and Janet, proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the midst of 35,000 Jehovah's Witnesses. Although we were called satanists, liars and apostates...by faith, we believe many seeds were planted. Our prayer is that the Lord would save many!"
" 28Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"-John 20:28
"...is a restorationist,[1] millenarian[2] Christian religious movement.[3][4] Sociologists of religion have classified the group as an Adventist sect.[5][6] The group emerged from the Bible Student Movement, founded in the late 19th century by Charles Taze Russell, with the creation of the Watch Tower Society. It underwent significant organizational changes between 1917 and the 1940s, having its authority structure centralized and its preaching methods brought under greater regimentation.[7][8] The religion today claims an active worldwide membership of approximately 7 million people.[9]
They are most well-known for their door-to-door preaching, and for their refusal of military service and blood transfusions.[10] The religion's stance of conscientious objection to military service has brought it into conflict with governments that conscript citizens for military service,[11][12] and activities of Jehovah's Witnesses have subsequently been banned in some countries.[13] Jehovah's Witnesses have had a major influence on US constitutional law concerning civil liberties and conscientious objection to military service.[14]
Since its inception, the Watch Tower Society has taught that humanity is experiencing the last days of the present world order.[15] In the years leading up to 1914, 1925 and 1975, the Society's publications expressed strong expectations that Armageddon would occur in those years, resulting in surges in membership and subsequent defections.[7]
Jehovah's Witnesses consider the Bible as the supreme authority for their teachings and practices. Their belief system diverges greatly from traditional Christian theology, which has caused several major Christian denominations to denounce the group as either a cult or sect.[16] Medical ethicists have criticized Jehovah's Witnesses as an authoritarian group for coercing members to reject blood transfusions.[17][18] Former adherents have claimed that the religion demands unquestioning obedience from members,[19] with the consequence of expulsion and shunning facing any who act in disagreement with its doctrines.[20][21].."
"www.watchtowercomments.com Excerpt in full screen:"God's Channel""
"This is one of the most common verses of contention between the Jehovah's Witnesses and Christians. Their false assumption is that Jesus is not God in flesh, but Michael the archangel who became a man. Therefore, since they deny that Jesus is divine, they have altered the Bible in John 1:1 so that Jesus is not divine in nature. The New World Translation has added the word "a" to the verse so it says, "...and the Word was a god." The correct translation for this verse is "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God." This is how it is rendered in the NASB, NIV, KJV, NKJV, ASV, RSV, etc.
The New World translation is incorrect in its translation of this verse for several reasons. First of all, the Bible teaches a strict monotheism. To say that Jesus is "a god" is to suggest that there is another god besides YHWH, which is contrary to scripture (Isaiah 43:10; 44:6,8, etc.). Of course, the Jehovah's Witnesses will respond that Jesus is not the Almighty God, but a "lesser" kind of God. He is the "mighty God" as is referenced in Isaiah 9:6, "For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us, and the government will rest on His shoulders, and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." Therefore, they say that Jesus is the mighty god, but not the Almighty God...""
"Examining the Options of John 1:1
First, the argument strikes me as giving only two choices - either Jesus is the one true God (YHWH) or He is "a god". There are no other options open when dealing with John 1:1. Since both Christianity and Judaism affirm monotheism (the belief that there is only one true God), then translating John 1:1 "a god" leaves the reader with a problem. What kind of god is Jesus?
If Jesus is God Almighty, then He cannot be created because God is eternal. Psalm 90:2 tells us "From everlasting to everlasting, you are God." If Jesus is some other kind of god (or if something else is meant by using the term "god" for Jesus), then he would be a created being.
From this point, I think the best way to clarify John 1:1 is by looking at it in context. The most compelling verse I have found for Jesus being God Almighty is actually John 1:3. There we read "All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being."(NAS)
John 1:3 becomes crucial to our debate because it makes a very specific claim. If anything had any type of beginning at all, it was begun by Jesus. You cannot even infer the word "other" in the text because the last part of the verse says "apart from Him nothing has come into being that has come into being." In other words, John states there are two groups of things: all those things that have a beginning and all those things that are eternal, and Jesus is not one of those that have a beginning.
Perhaps an easy way to think of it is as a piece of paper with a line drawn down the middle. On one side there are eternal things with no beginning and on the other there are created things. The created things section is completely empty until Jesus starts working and putting things there. That means that Jesus is already there - but He cannot be on the created side because we said it was empty. So He must be on the non-created side. If this is so, then Jesus is eternal. If Jesus is eternal, this makes Him God Almighty. As I said before, there is no other option available. If Jesus is God Almighty, then John 1:1 is properly rendered "The Word was God" instead of "a god" for that translation would set up a duality of gods.
You claim that God wouldn't "make the mistake of saying he was with himself in the beginning" denies the idea of the persons of the Trinity being distinct. (For more on this see The Trinity and Oneness Theology. In many passages we see the Father speaking of the Son or even to the Son and the Son speaking to the Father so I don't see how this would be a problem. "
"...In contrast to the Trinitarian concept of one God in three Persons--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--the JWs have been taught to believe that God the Father alone is “Jehovah,” the only true God; that Jesus Christ is Michael the archangel, the first angelic being created by God; and that the Holy Spirit is neither God nor a person, but rather God's impersonal “active force.” Second, the subject of deity is a frequent confrontational focus because both Jehovah's Witnesses and Christians (at least those who like to witness to JWs) feel confident and well-prepared to defend their stand and attack the opposing viewpoint.
Due to the profound theological differences, such discussions often take the form of spiritual trench warfare--a long series of arguments and counterarguments, getting nowhere and ending in mutual frustration. But this need not be the case, especially if the Christian will "become all things to all men" by taking a moment to put himself in the Witnesss shoes, so to speak (see 1 Corinthians 9:22). In the JW's mind he himself is a worshiper of the true God of the Bible, while you are a lost soul who has been misled by the devil into worshiping a pagan three-headed deity. He is, no doubt, quite sincere in these beliefs and feels both threatened and offended by the doctrine of the Trinity. To give any serious consideration to your arguments in support of the Trinity is simply unthinkable to the JW; he would be sinning against Jehovah God to entertain such a thought.
So, in order to make any headway with the Witness, it is necessary to bridge the gap--to find common ground that will enable him to rethink his theology. Rather than plunging into a defense of "the doctrine of the Trinity," which can be mind-boggling even to a Christian, take things one step at a time.
A good first step would be to consider the question, "Is Jesus Christ really an angel?" It will be frightening to the Jehovah's Witness to open this cherished belief of his to critical re-examination, but no nearly as frightening as to start off discussing evidence that God is triune.
Since the Watchtower Society speaks of "Jesus Christ, whom we understand from the Scriptures to be Michael the archangel" (The Watchtower, February 15, 1979, p. 31), put the JW on the spot and ask him to show you “the Scriptures” that say Jesus is Michael. There are none. The Watchtower Society New World Translation (NWT) mentions Michael five times as: 1) "one of the foremost princes" (Dan. 10:13); 2) "the prince of [Daniel's] people" (Dan. 10:21); 3) "the great prince who is standing in behalf of the sons of [Daniel's] people" (Dan. 12:1); 4) “the archangel” who "had a difference with the devil and was disputing about Moses body" but "did not dare to bring a judgment against him in abusive terms" (Jude 9); and 5) a participant in heavenly conflict when "Michael and his angels battled with the dragon" (Rev. 12:7).
Ask the Jehovah's Witness which one of these verses says that Michael is Jesus Christ. Help him to see that it is necessary to read Scripture plus a complicated Watchtower argument to reach that conclusion. Rather than being merely "one of the foremost princes," Jesus Christ is "Lord of lords and King of kings" (Rev. 17:14, NWT) and is "far above every government and authority and power and lordship and every name named, not only in this system of things, but also in that to come" (Ephesians 1:21, NWT). And, unlike "Michael who did not dare condemn the Devil with insulting words, but said, The Lord rebuke you!" (Jude 9, Today's English Version), Jesus Christ displayed His authority over the devil when He freely commanded him, "Go away, Satan!" (Matthew 4:10, NWT).
In arguing that Jesus is Michael the archangel, the Watchtower Society also points to another verse that does not use the name Michael but says that "the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a commanding call, with an archangels voice and with God's trumpet…" (1 Thessalonians 4:16, NWT).
However, the expression "with an archangels voice" simply means that the archangel, like God's trumpet, will herald the coming of the Lord, not that the Lord is an archangel. Point out to the JW that none of the verses he has attempted to use as proof-texts even comes close to stating that Jesus Christ is Michael the archangel. In fact, Scripture clearly teaches the opposite: namely, that the Son of God is superior to the angels. The entire first chapter of Hebrews is devoted to this theme. Have the Witness read Hebrews chapter one aloud with you, and, as you do so, interrupt to point out the sharp contrast between angels and the Son of God. "For to what angel did God ever say, Thou are my Son…? And again, when he brings the first-born into the world, he says, Let all Gods angels worship him" (vv. 5,6, Revised Standard Version).
Remind the JW that angels consistently refuse worship ("Be careful! Do not do that! …Worship God," Revelation 22:8,9, NWT), but the Fathers command concerning the Son is, "Let all Gods angels worship him" (Hebrews 1:6). That is how the Watchtowers own New World Translation read for some 20 years until, in 1970, the Society changed it to read "do obeisance to him" instead of “worship him”--part of their consistent campaign to eliminate from their Bible all references to the deity of Christ. (See John 10:36 comment.)
True, you have not yet proved the "doctrine of the Trinity" in this discussion. But you have laid a good foundation by giving the Jehovah's Witness convincing evidence that Jesus Christ is not an angel (he is now faced with the question of who Jesus really is), and you have shown that the Watchtower Society has misled him, even resorting to altering Scripture to do so. Now you are in a much better position to go on to present the gospel.
Author: David A. Reed, Ex-Jehovah's Witness elder. Excerpted from The Evidence Bible by Ray Comfort"
"You are my Son;
today I have become your Father[a]"[b]? Or again,
"I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son"[c]? 6And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,
"Let all God's angels worship him."[d] 7In speaking of the angels he says,
"He makes his angels winds,
his servants flames of fire."[e] 8But about the Son he says,
"Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever,
and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.
9You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy."[f] 10He also says,
"In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
11They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
12You will roll them up like a robe;
like a garment they will be changed.
But you remain the same,
and your years will never end."[g] 13To which of the angels did God ever say,
"Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet"[h]? 14Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?"
*see Bible
"In Part 1, 18 year-old Nancy discusses day-to-day life in a Witness family, field service, the theocratic ministry school, the publications, holidays, school, and higher education."
"In Part 2, 18 year-old Nancy shares her insights about why the Watchtower Society discourages higher education, the ever-impending end of this system of things, not being able to have non-JW friends, fanaticism, questioning and doubting JW beliefs, overcoming the control and brainwashing of the organization, and her brave announcement to her JW mother and step-father that she no longer wanted to be part of the religion."
"In Part 2, 18 year-old Nancy discusses the consequences of choosing to not be one of Jehovah's Witnesses. She explains about the emotional blackmail implemented by her JW mother and stepfather in attempt to keep her in the organization, the marking, the threat of shunning, her emotionally devastating realization that her mother's love was very conditional and based on her status as a Witness. She shares her breakdown and recovery, and has a few words for other Jehovah's Witness youths who might be struggling with the same issues in their Watchtower dominated home."
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