faith

All posts tagged faith

The “Evil Slave” Who Usurped His Master’s Role And Mistreated His Fellow Servants

Posted by Brother John Jones on December 16, 2025
Posted in: Antichrist, apostasy, Bible Standards, Charles Taze Russell, Christian behavior, governing body, Religion. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
“But if that servant should say in his heart, ‘My Lord is delayed’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with drunkards…” Matthew 24:48,49

The Evil Slave

Jesus’ parable found in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 24 verses 48 through 51 is a cautionary story that contrast the difference between the conduct of a good servant and a wicked servant that were given the responsibility of caring for his fellow servants within his master’s household.

The good servant lovingly cares for his fellow servants remembering that he is a lowly servant himself and that he and his fellows belong to his master. The wicked or evil servant lords himself over his fellow servants as if he is their master and instead of caring for them, begins to abuse them. The evil slave positioned himself as a lord over his fellow servants…a position his master did not appoint him to.

This is why the apostle Peter counseled church elders:

1 Peter 5:2-3

2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily, as God wants; a not for dishonest gain, but willingly;

3 neither as lording it over those entrusted to you, but making yourselves examples to the flock. (NHEB)

Jesus’ parable was directed to the anointed or elect members of the church who were to take the lead among their brothers and sisters. Jesus’ parable brings the question to mind, Is there an intermediary between Christ and his disciples on Earth? To answer that question, we should look what the Bible teaches concerning the matter. Let’s begin with the pattern of God’s temple arrangement.

The High Priest has always served as Mediator between God and man. This has been the consistent pattern from the times of the priesthood God established with biblical Israel.

Beyond the High Priest never has there been mentioned a ‘middleman’ or some lessor that serves as a ‘go-between’ or some other ‘channel of God’.

Paul’s words found in 1 Timothy 2:5 are very clear:

1 Timothy 2:5 (KJV)

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;”

1 Timothy 2:5 (HCSB)

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, Christ Jesus, Himself human,”

1 Timothy 2:5 (GNT)

“For there is one God, and there is one who brings God and human beings together, the man Christ Jesus,”

Despite what is taught in the Bible on the matter, the Governing Body of “Jehovah’s Witnesses” have placed themselves as the intermediary between God and man.

Not only have they done this, but they have also all but eliminated any reference to Jesus Christ as the one and only High Priest. Thus, they have usurped Christ exclusive role before God.

In ancient Israel, when one needed to offer sacrifices for forgiveness or they needed to appeal to God for aid, they when directly and stood before the High Priest who was the only one capable of making such offerings.

They did not go to a group of temple workers who acted as middlemen, as intermediaries, as intercessors, as go-betweens, as liaisons.

Even within the physical Temples of God’s covenant people there was but one High Priest, but one Mediator.

The Governing Body of “Jehovah’s Witnesses” fulfill the Scriptures that speak of an “evil slave” who while his master was absent, usurped his master’s role and began to behave as the Master himself.

It was Christ himself who spoke of such an “evil slave” that was to appear on the scene in the Last Days.

Matthew 24:

48 “But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;

49 And shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;

50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,

51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth”. (KJV)

The False Prophet

For those who belong to the Watchtower Society (Jehovah’s Witnesses), the Lord must certainly be delaying. They have been claiming that Jesus returned over 100 years ago, but nothing has happened to match what the Bible says will occur on that day.

He is not delaying all. They, being false prophets, did exactly what Jesus said the false prophet would do and that is to declare his second coming before its true time.

Within this very same discussion that Jesus was having with his disciples, Jesus had previously warned them to be on guard for false prophets who would proclaim his return before its time:

Matthew 24:22-27

22 Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened.

23 ”Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Christ,’ or, ‘There,’ do not believe it.

24 For there will arise false Christs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones.

25 “See, I have told you beforehand.

26 If therefore they tell you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; ‘Look, he is in the inner chambers,’ do not believe it.

27 For as the lightning flashes from the east, and is seen even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. (NHEB)

“Jehovah’s Witnesses” are most noted for declaring the Second Coming of Christ in 1919 A.D. They claim it was an “invisible presence” or coming only discerned by certain men. The Bible teaches nothing about an invisible coming of Christ.

But note both what Jesus says in Luke 17 verse 23 and also what he says that is recorded in the Book of Revelation.

Revelation 1:7

“Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen”.

Since no such events have occurred to fulfill Jesus’ words, it is impossible for his Second Coming to have already occurred.

In the meantime, the leadership of the Watchtower Society has had to fend off questions as to the reliability of their proclaiming Christ has returned. To them, Jesus seems to be “delaying” when in actuality he is not.

They became just as the “evil slave” Jesus described and they began abusing their fellow brothers while wickedly raising themselves above the Lord’s other body members as if they were the Master of their fellow brothers.

The prophecy of Christ has become reality and there is no reason to disbelieve that his last words on the matter will not also be fulfilled:

Matthew 24:

51 “And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth”.

The leaders of “Jehovah’s Witnesses” apply the question Jesus asked as recorded at Matthew 24:45 literally:

Matthew 24:45

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has set over his household, to give them their food in due season?”

They claim that Jesus returned invisibly in the year 1919 and appointed them to this role. Its very odd that at that time no one was making such a claim.

That false teaching came latter. Just a few years earlier Charles Taze Russell was preaching that the battle of Armageddon would occur in the year 1914. There would have been no expectation nor need for such an appointment in 1919.

Rather than being a “faithful and wise slave”, the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses have proven themselves to be a false prophet and to be the “wicked slave” Lord Jesus prophesied would appear in the Last Days.

To keep control, they have beaten their fellow believers in a spiritual sense, who refuse to treat them as if they are the Master Jesus.

Back to top

Calloused Consciences and Hardened Hearts

Posted by Brother John Jones on July 23, 2025
Posted in: Antichrist, apostasy, Bible Standards, Religion. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment

“Now the Spirit says clearly that in the last times some people will abandon the faith by following deceitful spirits, the teachings of demons.”

Calloused Consciences and Hardened Hearts

1 Timothy 4:1-2

1 Now the Spirit says clearly that in the last times some people will abandon the faith by following deceitful spirits, the teachings of demons,

2 and the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences have been burned by a hot iron.

The phrase “burned with a hot iron” refers to a conscience that has become hardened and insensitive to moral truth. It’s a metaphor for a condition where a person’s ability to discern right from wrong is severely diminished due to repeated exposure to falsehood and sin. Often, it is demonstrated in an apathetic response to a situation that normally should cause a visceral reaction.

The most general meaning of the hard heart is a heart that lacks ordinary feelings of tenderness and compassion. An example is the lack of natural empathy for the suffering of the people in Western Asia due to the persecution of the Zionist entity and other inhumane terrorists minded factions in that region. Another example is the conscious-less devotion to slaughter of hundreds of thousands of otherwise innocent men, women, and children for the sake the greedy/selfish ambitions of the elite ruling classes of world societies in other regions of the world.

Such behavior is sociopathic in nature. ‘Sociopathic’ is a term often used interchangeably with ‘antisocial personality disorder’ referring to a pattern of behavior characterized by a disregard for the rights and feelings of others, a lack of empathy, and manipulative or deceitful tendencies.

In the Holy Bible, the term ‘heart’ is often used to signify the core of a person’s personality, producing the characteristics we ordinarily ascribe to the ‘mind’.

Those who have developed a calloused mind and conscious exhibit a hardened heart. The most common meaning for “hardness of heart” is a heart that cannot be touched and moved and made to feel natural tender emotions (empathy or sympathy) toward suffering. Their figurative hearts have become like a stone; it can’t feel what it ought to feel.

The term ‘hard-hearted is plainly meant to suggest an unaffected heart, or a heart not easy to be moved with virtuous affections. It is similar to a rock; insensible, unintelligent, unmoved, and hard to be impressed.

Its easy to identify the most outrageous manifestations of hard-hearted behavior. But, there are those who manifest sociopathic, callous-minded, hard-heartedness in more passive ways that often go unnoticed. I am referring in this case to what is called ‘bystander apathy’.

‘Bystander apathy’ is a social psychological phenomenon where individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when other people are present. Essentially, the more bystanders there are, the less likely any one of them is to intervene in an emergency or situation requiring assistance.

In some instances a person may worry about how they will be perceived by others if they intervene. They might fear embarrassment or negative judgment if they interrupt a situation or if their attempt to help is unsuccessful. Intervention may cause them some kind of loss such as peer acceptance or some kind of material loss.

Such a person may stand apathetically on the sidelines as it were, observing horrific things they know are wrong for the sake of continuing to being part of a group. Whatever the reason, this is also a demonstration of a hard heart and a calloused mind. If they were in the same situation as the people they are apathetically watching from a distance, they would undoubtedly want someone to help them.

Instead of empathy, a callous-minded person will often display their apathy. There have been plenty of scientific surveys on this subject. When people are asked whether they would spontaneously assist a person in an emergency situation, almost everyone will reply positively “Certainly!”. Although we all imagine ourselves heroes, the fact is that many people refrain from helping in real life, especially when they place a high value on the of the reaction other people around them. Status for them becomes the overarching concern. What a shame it is to allow someone to languish in pain or even die for such selfish concerns! And yet, this thinking and behavior is far too common in the world we live in.

The apostle Paul in his Second letter to the disciple Timothy, fore told that many would have a hard heart in the Last Days.

2 Timothy 3:1-5

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4 Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Notice verse three. Paul foretold that there would be a loss of ‘natural affection’ in the Last Days. In addition to the waning of expressions of filial love within the family unit, there has also been the waning of fellow feeling for our fellow human beings. Instead of having some sort of empathy for people we see daily being murdered by bombs,firearms, and starvation in Palestine, most of the world turns its head away and focuses on often mundane, unimportant matters. They seem to be quite fine ignoring these things as a man-made famine is killing people on a daily basis.

Probably the most heinous of all are those who claim to be God-fearing Christians who support this genocide. They have no compunction whatsoever in supporting the slaughter of innocent human beings. And what is even worse, they have convinced themselves that they are doing God’s will. Their minds are seared as if with a branding iron; they have no conscience and their hearts have become stone. To attribute their conduct to the Eternal God is blasphemy of the worse order and they will be judged adversely for it.

The apostle Paul’s statement found at 1 Timothy Chapter 4 Verses 1 and 2 were not directed toward people who do not claim to be disciples of Jesus Christ. Let’s reread this passage:

1 Timothy 4:1-2

1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

Paul is speaking about some who would abandon true faith and turn toward what he called “doctrines of devils”.

Devilish false prophets and teachers have led many to believe falsely (1) that they are Christians and, (2) that supporting Zionism is the will of God. So these people delight in the murder of innocent people, grabbing other peoples land with smiles on their faces. And there are others among them that have not been misled, but are doing what they are doing with full understanding.

The man Titus was a close companion of the apostle Paul. When writing to Titus concerning the proper qualification for church leaders, Paul warned fellow Christians of his day not to be seduced into believing teachings contrary to the Gospel.

Titus 1:7-15

7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;

8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;

9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:

11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.

12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, the Cretians are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.

13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;

14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.

15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

In Titus 1:14, the phrase “Jewish fables” refers to teachings or stories that deviate from the truth of the gospel and promote unbiblical doctrines. These fables are contrasted with the truth of God’s word and are associated with those who turn away from it. Many of such fables arise from rabbinical teachings found in the Jewish Talmudic writings.

The teaching that there exist two Covenants between God and mankind is one of such Jewish fables that Christian even in the 1st century came to believe and promote. But such belief is counter to the Gospel teachings.

Jesus’ clearly has stated:

John 14:6

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”.

Jesus presents himself as the sole way path to God the Father. This is the Gospel teaching.

The apostle Peter preached this same Gospel he received from Jesus.

Acts 4:8

8 Then Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders:

9 If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a disabled man—by what means he was healed—

10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead—by Him this man is standing here before you healthy.

11 This Jesus is the stone rejected by you builders,which has become the cornerstone.

12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people, and we must be saved by it.”

Because many have believed in what the apostle Paul called “Jewish fables” they have abandoned true faith based solely on the Gospel message. As a result, their consciences have been seared into a unsensitive state and they wholeheartedly support inhumane behavior while convinced they are doing God’s will.

There is only one Covenant and only one Mediator of that Covenant.

1 Timothy 2:5

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Many, perhaps the majority, of those who support the mass murder occurring in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria are people the apostle Paul described at 1 Timothy 4: 1 and 2. They call themselves ‘Christian Evangelicals’ or ‘Christian Zionist” inferring that they subscribe to Christian beliefs and ethics. But their actions demonstrate that if they ever truly were Christian believers, they have “abandoned the faith by following deceitful spirits, the teachings of demons,”. As a result, their consciences have become calloused as if seared with a branding iron and their hearts have become hard lacking any natural human feeling.

Others too show a numbness toward the suffering they can see occurring with their own eyes. Their consciences are as numb as the scar tissue that develops when a person suffers a severe burn wound. These show no empathetic concern as they turn their attention toward mundane and unimportant interest. Both of these groups manifest sociopathic tendencies.

As Christian believers the question for us individually is whether or not we will allow ourselves to fall into these two categories or will we hold fast to the Gospel as written in Holy Scripture.

Will we as individuals demonstrate a hard-hearted attitude and a calloused conscience that reflects a falling out of grace with God?

Paul’s remarks referred to here, were specifically directed to the Christian church. But non believers also have show a callousness of mind and a hardness of heart concerning the troubling circumstances outlined in this brief discussion. These also, can benefit by reflecting on themselves and their individual attitudes and behaviors.

The Dangers of Group Think and the Hive-Mind

Posted by Brother John Jones on November 25, 2024
Posted in: apostasy, Bible Standards, ex-jehovah's witnesses, faith, Religion. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment
One must be cautious when thinking about becoming part of any group. Religious groups are no exception. There is the real and present danger of being swept up in groupthink and abandoning the use of one’s own perceptive capabilities to discern right from wrong

Individuality and agency are an essential part of the human experience. These are lost when we give control to the ‘hive’. The dangers of the “hive-mind” as a concept, also applies to religious faith and to religious organizations.

Some religious organizations insist on a groupthink hive mind mentality. Organizations like these discourage what they call ‘independent thinking’. One such religious organization is the Watchtower Society. Yet, its own Bible translation translates Hebrews 5:14 in these words:

“But solid food belongs to mature people, to those who through use have their powers of discernment trained to distinguish both right and wrong.” (New World Translation)

Some level of indoctrination exists in all so-called ‘Christian’ organizations. Many of these groups such as “Jehovah’s Witnesses” as they call themselves, discourage any use of independent critical thinking that allows a person to pose questions. Critical thinking is a product of a trained mind. The trained mind has developed the perceptive power to do the critical thinking to “distinguish both right and wrong” as Hebrews 5:14 states is an indication of spiritual maturity.

Strong faith is developed by critical thinking. One is assuring that they will remain spiritually immature by failing to think critically and failing to ask critical questions. Such a person accepts beliefs that they have no proof of with regard to the validity of those beliefs. They allow the subordination of their own critical thinking in lieu of unquestioning belief in whatever the hive mind tells them they must believe. When a person accepts this sort of thinking, they become vulnerable prey to all kinds of manipulation and gaslighting. Their ‘faith’ is based on the belief that some other human will supply them accurate spiritual understanding and direction.

The Bible teaches:

Psalm 146:3-4

“Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish”.

The hive mind has a corrosive affect that inhibits development toward Christian maturity. The hive mind is often based upon a foundation of fear, and it is maintained by stoking ever increasing fear of any disobedience to the dictates of its leadership.

Since many would be Christian disciples refuse to grow spiritually by training their perceptive powers, they seek certainty and security in the group think of hive mentality. This is exactly what the Psalmist at Psalm 146:3 warns us not to do.

There is another biblical verse that warns against putting one’s trust in another human being’s word that tells us what God’s view is of anyone who does so:

Jeremiah 17:5

“The LORD says, “I will condemn those who turn away from me and put their trust in human beings, in the strength of mortals.” (GNB)

New World Translation

Jeremiah 17:5

“This is what Jehovah says: “Cursed is the man who puts his trust in mere humans, Who relies on human power, And whose heart turns away from Jehovah.”

One ceases to use their own perceptive powers, which can be guided by God’s Holy Spirit, when they put their trust entirely in the reasoning of another individual. This is what happens when a person become a party to hive-minded group thinking. But this is exactly what the Watchtower Organization demands of its members. And as the Book of Jeremiah tells us, God considers such a person accursed.

The Bereans were a group of people in the Bible who lived in the city of Berea in Macedonia. They are known for their humble reception of the gospel message, and for their eagerness to examine the Scriptures to see if what Paul and Silas taught was true. They were commended by the apostle Paul.

Acts 17:10-11

10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue.

11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. (ESV)

New World Translation

10 Paul and Silas to Be·roeʹa. On arriving, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thes·sa·lo·niʹca, for they accepted the word with the greatest eagerness of mind, carefully examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

Paul did not criticize the Bereans who used their independent perceptive capabilities to examine the teachings that he and Silas were teaching them in the light of what they could read for themselves from the Holy Scriptures. The writer of the Book of Acts actually called them “noble minded” for having done so.

“Jehovah’s Witnesses” discourage any use of independent critical thinking that allows a person to pose questions. Since many would be Christian disciples refuse to grow spiritually by training their perceptive powers, they seek certainty and security in the group think of hive mentality.

“Jehovah’s Witnesses” use Acts 17:10-11 regularly when they are proselytizing in an effort attempting to convert people from their existing religious beliefs to the beliefs of their group. But once they have gained that person as a member, they imply that such Berean-like conduct is negative “independent thinking”.

“Jehovah’s Witnesses” use these Bible verses regularly when they are proselytizing in an effort attempting to convert people from their existing religious beliefs to the beliefs of their group. But once they have gained that person as a member, they imply that such Berean-like conduct is negative “independent thinking”. They only use Acts 17:10-11 as an appealing hook to draw people into their group. Once hooked in, their members are expected to plug into the “Borg”, so to speak, of hive-minded group thinking without questioning whether or not what they are being taught is actually biblically based.

This behavior is so ingrained in the psyche of people who have been members of “Jehovah’s Witnesses” that even after having left the group, they continue to promote hive-minded thinking in the Bible study groups they create after exiting the Watchtower. This is particularly true of those men who were once elders, ministerial servants, and so-called “pioneers” while they were Watchtower members. Their groups almost always resort to a facsimile of the hierarchy and hive-minded mentality that they criticize the Watchtower elite for fostering in its group.

I call this “Elder Syndrome”. Such men have become so accustomed to being in charge and being looked up to that they continue to crave being someone of elevated status among what should be peers. I see videos and blogs in which they proudly advertise themselves as “former elder”, “former pioneer”, etc. as if that is a badge of honor that should make a reader or listener perk up and pay more than the usual attention to their teachings. But, is it really a badge of honor that they once held these titles? Not really.

To rise to the hierarchical level of ‘elder’ or ‘ministerial servants in the Watchtower Organization requires a lot of compromising of Biblical principles and teachings. It is impossible to maintain integrity and at the same time do what is necessary to rise to such roles. If a person doesn’t conform to the groupthink as dictated by the Organization’s governing body, they will not be allowed to be an elder or ministerial servant in the group. Therefore, compromise of Biblical principles and teachings is necessary. Men who rose to such levels of leadership have disgraced themselves even more so than the common congregant. And they bear great responsibility for their treatment of and their misleading of congregation members into an accursed state in God’s sight. But rather being chastened by what they have done, many ex-witness leaders want to start their own study groups and act as if they are reliable teachers as if the past never happened. They lack the ability to understand the gravity of the damage done by their past actions. Rather than attempting to be some sort of leader, perhaps they should be contrite in spirit and behavior letting someone with clean hands lead the Bible study group less people be misled again.

One must be cautious when thinking about becoming part of any group and religious groups are no exception. There is the real and present danger of being swept up in groupthink and abandoning the use of one’s own perceptive capabilities to discern right from wrong, what are accurate biblical teachings versus what are inaccurate biblical teachings. One must avoid becoming part of a hive-mind. When you do this, you cease thinking for yourself and begin to put your trust in the thinking of other imperfect human beings.

Again, the biblical counsel is this:

Psalm 146:3-4

“Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish”.

And:

Jeremiah 17:5

“The LORD says, “I will condemn those who turn away from me and put their trust in human beings, in the strength of mortals.”

Be on your guard and shun hive-minded groups that discourage you from using your own perceptive powers. Otherwise, you will never be led and taught by God’s Holy Spirit, and you will never achieve spiritual maturity.

Be on your guard and shun hive-minded groups that discourage you from using your own perceptive powers. Otherwise, you will never be led and taught by God’s Holy Spirit, and you will never achieve spiritual maturity

Back to top

Back to top

Is the Christian Church Part of an Organization?

Posted by Brother John Jones on October 26, 2024
Posted in: Religion. Tagged: , , , , , , . 1 Comment
Nowhere in the Bible does it describe or even call God’s household an organization.

Is the Christian church an organization or Part of an Organization?

Not according to how it is described in the Bible.

1 Timothy 3:15

“But if I delay, this letter will let you know how we should conduct ourselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.”

Although God’s house has order, it is a family arrangement. At its head of course is God the Father. His firstborn son who we know by the name Jesus serves Him as his Chief Servant. He gave us an example of this family arrangement in the manner in which He established biblical Israel.

God holds out the hope to the church to become His “children”:

2 Corinthians 6:17-18

17 And so the Lord says, “You must leave them and separate yourselves from them. Have nothing to do with what is unclean, and I will accept you.

18 I will be your father, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

Jesus said that those who did the will of his Father were his brother, sister, and mother…are his family members.

Matthew 12:50

“Whoever does what my Father in heaven wants is my brother, my sister, and my mother.”

In the Bible Book of Hebrews we are taught that in Christ we are “brothers and sisters”.

Hebrews 10:19-20

19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have the confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,

20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, (Christ body)

These teachings fit the pattern of a family arrangement and not that of an organization don’t they?

Nowhere in the Bible does it describe or even call God’s household an organization. But, the apostle Paul did make a statement regarding a family connection to God.

Ephesians 3:14, 15

14 For this reason I fall on my knees before the Father,

15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth receives its true name.

The family arrangement of God is based on the common love of each family member for one another. An organization is simply a hierarchical operating system in which love is not a requirement.

The Watchtower Organization insist on repeating the term ‘God’s (Jehovah’s) Organization’ because they see things from viewpoint of fleshly men and because they have no part in God’s family arrangement. They are just another man-made organizational hierarchy. This is the kind of language one would expect from a business corporation masquerading as a religion.

As 1 Timothy 3:15 tells, the true church members are part of God’s family household and not part of an organization.

Back to top

What will you likely be doing when the Lord returns?

Posted by Brother John Jones on September 13, 2024
Posted in: Bible Standards, Christian behavior, Christian-Zionism, Religion. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
Philippians 1:27
“Only let your manner of life be worthy of the Good News of Christ, that, whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your state, that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the Good News;” (NHEB)

What Will You Likely Be Doing When The Lord Returns?

So many are consumed with the behavior of someone other than themselves. They find it more convenient to pass judgement on others than to judge their own conduct. The apostle Paul highlighted the hypocrisy of a person who does this when speaking to his fellow kinsmen in regard to their conduct.

Romans chapter 2

1 Do you, my friend, pass judgment on others? You have no excuse at all, whoever you are. For when you judge others and then do the same things which they do, you condemn yourself.

2 We know that God is right when he judges the people who do such things as these.

3 But you, my friend, do those very things for which you pass judgment on others! Do you think you will escape God’s judgment?

4 Or perhaps you despise his great kindness, tolerance, and patience. Surely you know that God is kind, because he is trying to lead you to repent.

5 But you have a hard and stubborn heart, and so you are making your own punishment even greater on the Day when God’s anger and righteous judgments will be revealed.

6 For God will reward each of us according to what we have done.

7 Some people keep on doing good, and seek glory, honor, and immortal life; to them God will give eternal life.

8 Other people are selfish and reject what is right, in order to follow what is wrong; on them God will pour out his anger and fury.

9 There will be suffering and pain for all those who do what is evil, for the Jews first and also for the Gentiles.

10 But God will give glory, honor, and peace to all who do what is good, to the Jews first and also to the Gentiles.

11 For God judges everyone by the same standard.

12 The Gentiles do not have the Law of Moses; they sin and are lost apart from the Law. The Jews have the Law; they sin and are judged by the Law.

13 For it is not by hearing the Law that people are put right with God, but by doing what the Law commands.

14 The Gentiles do not have the Law; but whenever they do by instinct what the Law commands, they are their own law, even though they do not have the Law.

15 Their conduct shows that what the Law commands is written in their hearts. Their consciences also show that this is true, since their thoughts sometimes accuse them and sometimes defend them.

16 And so, according to the Good News I preach, this is how it will be on that Day when God through Jesus Christ will judge the secret thoughts of all.

17 What about you? You call yourself a Jew; you depend on the Law and boast about God;

18 you know what God wants you to do, and you have learned from the Law to choose what is right;

19 you are sure that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in darkness,

20 an instructor for the foolish, and a teacher for the ignorant. You are certain that in the Law you have the full content of knowledge and of truth.

21 You teach others—why don’t you teach yourself? You preach, “Do not steal”—but do you yourself steal?

22 You say, “Do not commit adultery”—but do you commit adultery? You detest idols—but do you rob temples?

23 You boast about having God’s law—but do you bring shame on God by breaking his law?

24 The scripture says, “Because of you Jews, the Gentiles speak evil of God.”

25 If you obey the Law, your circumcision is of value; but if you disobey the Law, you might as well never have been circumcised.

26 If the Gentile, who is not circumcised, obeys the commands of the Law, will not God regard him as though he were circumcised?

27 And so you Jews will be condemned by the Gentiles because you break the Law, even though you have it written down and are circumcised; but they obey the Law, even though they are not physically circumcised.

28 After all, who is a real Jew, truly circumcised? It is not the man who is a Jew on the outside, whose circumcision is a physical thing.

29 Rather, the real Jew is the person who is a Jew on the inside, that is, whose heart has been circumcised, and this is the work of God’s Spirit, not of the written Law. Such a person receives praise from God, not from human beings.

The world is full of the kind of hypocrisy that Paul points out in the verses cited above. There are many professed Christians who self-righteously pontificate, judging others while they do not follow the commandments contained in the Bible themselves.

They preach to others “do not steal” while stealing themselves. They preach ” do not murder” when their own hands are covered with innocent blood. They say to others “Be moral”, but they exhibit no adherence to Biblical ethics or godly morality themselves.

Some people like this see themselves as performing a ministry that is “saving souls”. But Jesus made a statement that highlights the folly of such thinking:

Matthew 16:26

“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Jesus was counseling his listeners that they must deny their fleshly desires if they desired to ” pick up their cross” and follow him. This requires focusing on our own self, our own spiritual needs, and our own shortcomings. What good would it be personally to turn others to repentance if we ourselves failed to repent? We would in the end “lose” our own soul.

When the Lord comes, what will he find your conduct to be? Will we have spent so much of our time judging everyone else’s behavior, that we left no time to judge our own behavior and correct ourselves?

We live at a time when many people believe they can be a disciple of Christ, while they at the same time are leading a godless, immoral life. They have convinced themselves this is true and even have had false teachers tell them that they can defy Biblical commandments and still receive salvation through Christ. Since the advent of so-called ‘New Age Christianity’ many have been misled into this false belief.

But, the Bible tells us there is but one faith and only one gospel. And we are told that our conduct in life should reflect our Christian standards.

Philippians 1:27

“Only let your manner of life be worthy of the Good News of Christ, that, whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your state, that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the Good News;” (NHEB)

Here is the same passage translated in more expressive language:

“Most importantly, as fellow believers in Christ, conduct yourselves just like you learned you should do when you heard the message about Christ. Do that in order that whether I come and see you, or whether I am away from you and people tell me about you, what I hear or see will make me happy. They will tell me that you are unitedly and cooperatively resisting those who oppose the message about Christ (OR, oppose you). I will know that you are not allowing others to influence you to believe a message that is different from the gospel about Christ”. T4T

If someone is attempting to convince you that you don’t need to repent from sin and turn to leading a life in obedience to God’s commandments, then they are not teaching you the same gospel found in the Bible. The apostle Paul calls such teachers “accursed”.

Galatians 1:8 9

8 But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should proclaim to you a “good news” other than that which we preached to you, let him be cursed.

9 As we have said before, so I now say again: if anyone preaches to you a “good news” other than that which you received, let him be cursed.

If you follow these false teachers, you will not receive Christ’ approval when he comes.

Stop judging others and start judging yourself as Jesus and Paul admonished us to do. Doings so according to the gospel we learn from the Bible.

Back to top

A Spiritual War is Raging

Posted by Brother John Jones on December 28, 2023
Posted in: Antichrist, apostasy, Bible Standards, Christian behavior, faith, false prophet, Jesus, Religion. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
Galatians 1:6-9
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you by the grace of Christ to a different “good news”;
7 and there is not another “good news.” Only there are some who trouble you, and want to pervert the Good News of Christ.
8 But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should proclaim to you a “good news” other than that which we preached to you, let him be cursed.
9 As we have said before, so I now say again: if anyone preaches to you a “good news” other than that which you received, let him be cursed.

2 Corinthians 11:4

“For if he who comes preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if you receive a different spirit, which you did not receive, or a different “good news”, which you did not accept, you put up with that well enough”.

The current world crisis is over moral values as much as anything else.

East versus West Spiritual War

“American Orthodox ‘Archbishop (OCA) says Morality is an Evolutionary Construct”

https://orthodox.substack.com/p/american-orthodox-archbishop-oca

Deposed Deacon Puhalo, who masquerades as an “archbishop” with the blessing and implicit consent of the OCA Synod, continues to spread heretical and false teaching, using the authority granted to him by the same Synod, to directly contradict the truth, the Scriptures, and the teaching of the Orthodox Church.

On October 26 on his Facebook page, Lazar Puhalo made several outrageous and categorically false statements about morality and virtue. These are a sampling of his latest non-Orthodox and non-Christian declarations:
“Morality is an evolutionary construct, it is not a product of religion.”

“Basic moral concepts are practiced to one degree or another throughout the animal kingdom and not just among primates.”

“Moral concepts evolve the same as the organism that has and develops those concepts. The argument that we would not have morality without religion is simply fraudulent and completely untrue.”

“Both morality and concepts of virtue are evolutionary constructs”

Here are some excerpts from Puhalo’s entire Facebook post from October 23, 2023:

“We do not need to tell lies and use misinformation to defend our Faith(sic)”.

“Morality is an evolutionary construct, it is not a product of religion. Basic moral concepts are practised to one degree or another throughout the animal kingdom and not just among primates”.

“Generally, actions that unify and enhance any social organism’s survival and prosperity will be labelled as “moral.”

“The radical juridicalism of Western theology results from it being tied to Roman civil law and the literal understanding of the Old Testament. This resulted in the idea that God required a human sacrifice to cover the sins of human beings”.

“The notion that Jesus Christ was punished on our behalf for our sins is grossly immoral and has no connection with the concept of love. In fact, it negates any concept of forgiveness because punishment and forgiveness are mutually exclusive”.

“If Jesus Christ was punished on behalf of mankind, then mankind is never forgiven; rather, punishment has been had, which means that the idea of forgiveness is a mere legal fiction, defining most Western theology”.

Puhalo brazenly teaches falsehoods that undermine the truth and directly contradict the right theology and teaching of the Holy Orthodox Church. He has done so repeatedly in the past without any consequence from the OCA Synod. Many of his teachings are not only not Orthodox, they’re not even Christian!
___________

Puhalo uses no passages from the Holy Scriptures to support his assertions. He seems more knowledgeable about anthropology and evolution theories.

Puhalo denies almost all of the teachings in the gospel of the New Testament. Yet, he postures himself as a “Christian Orthodox” priest. There’s not one orthodox thing related to his teachings.

This man denies the ransom sacrifice of Christ! Christ’ sacrifice is the very basis for Christian faith.

We must never forget the counsel we have been given:

Galatians 1:6-9

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you by the grace of Christ to a different “good news”;

7 and there is not another “good news.” Only there are some who trouble you, and want to pervert the Good News of Christ.

8 But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should proclaim to you a “good news” other than that which we preached to you, let him be cursed.

9 As we have said before, so I now say again: if anyone preaches to you a “good news” other than that which you received, let him be cursed.

The so-called Christian church in the West has embraced a “new gospel” and is at war morally with all other nations that wisely reject it.

The Roman Catholic pope is no better than this perverter of the faith.

There is a spiritual war being waged globally.