Change, Change, and More Change

By Jesus, speaking in prophecy

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It’s uncomfortable for most people to learn something new. Most people are creatures of habit and like doing things that they feel they are good at or are naturally talented in. So it’s a stretch to take on something new that is “so not you.”

People generally like consistency, security, and being competent and comfortable in their tasks. But the life of a disciple is always an uphill climb. You’re disciples. You’re men and women who have received the great commission of going into all the world and preaching the Gospel to every creature.1

For with God, all things are possible to him that believeth.2 Do you believe that? Then have faith and know that you can do what I am asking of you. You may feel clumsy, awkward, or even like a fish out of water. But when you take the plunge and step out in the direction I am leading you, and keep at it, you will grow, your talents and gifts will be honed, and you will become a well-rounded professional. You are capable of a lot, because I am capable through you.

I know the steps of change that I ask of you can sometimes seem daunting. It’s challenging to face something new, an “impossibility,” something you’ve never done before, something that is beyond your level of expertise and your personal comfort zone. However, I am able to stretch the limits that you have put on yourself, and take you farther and higher than you have gone before.

I am capable and strong to help you. I want you to have faith and confidence. Believe that nothing is impossible. Otherwise, when I put an opportunity before you, the Devil can tempt you to think, “After looking at all the factors, there really is no way that I’m ready for something like this.” That’s not true! I know it, but you must know it as well.

Don’t let anything deter you from embracing change and letting it work for you as you do your part. It will be tough at first; change is tough. But I want you to see yourself doing what I have said is possible, and it will become possible.

Let Me show you My perspective: Your realm of possibilities is only so wide, and every time you try to go beyond your boundaries and self-imposed limitations, you come up against a wall that can’t be moved. However, as you claim My promises, you will find that I can lift you over those walls. I will bring you into a new dimension that will astonish you and thrill you, as you see what you’re truly capable of.

Believe in your heart that change is possible, and that everything that I ask of you is doable. You will see results as you act on My promises by doing the difficult thing of learning and stepping out of your comfort zone. The difference between the little box that you’ve placed yourself in and My sky of no limits will be like night and day.

Take your square cubicle where all you can see and feel are brick walls that encase you, and compare that to open fields, the vastness of the sky, and the fresh oxygen that abounds. Think of a horse that has been kept in a tiny stable. Imagine his happiness when he gallops out into the wide-open world and sees the beauty and the freedom surrounding him.

There are new worlds to discover, if you have the faith and patience to keep trying and not give up. I have created your spirit to be wild and free; it is not meant to be caged in by a world of impossibilities. So let’s ride together, shall we? Let Me take you to places you've never been before.

Imagine yourself riding a wild and free horse. It will take you to many cool spots, out-of-this-world places, and you will be amazed at the treasures and riches that I have in store for you. Let Me expand your horizons as I take you from place to place and show you that it can be done, for “all things are possible to him that believeth.” You’re a disciple, and following Me is what you do best. “Put your hand into the hand of God, and He will be more to you than a light and better than a known way.”

I am so proud of you. You’re making changes and expanding your comfort zone. You are capable of anything that I ask of you, because I am living and working within you.

Originally published March 2010. Updated and republished September 2012.
Read by Simon Gregg.

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Georgia Purdom: Dear Huff Post: Do Your Homework!

 07 Sep 2012

In two recent Huff Post articles on the Bill Nye video and AiG’s rebuttal videos they have stated, “Purdom did not comment on studies that have shown that evolution has been observed in a laboratory setting.”[1] Curious, I clicked on the link provided and was directed to an article about Richard Lenski’s work on E. coli “evolution” at Michigan State University. In 2008, Lenski published a paper showing that E. coli he had been culturing in his lab for 20 years had gained the ability to utilize citrate.[2] A New Scientist writer proclaimed, “A major innovation has unfurled right in front of researchers’ eyes. It’s the first time evolution has been caught in the act of making such a rare and complex new trait.”[3] Really?

As I stated in the title, the Huff Post didn’t do their homework because contrary to their claims, I published a semi-technical article[4] on the AiG website on June 30, 2008, in response to Lenski’s research! E. coli (such as those found in our gut or in the soil outside our home) have the ability to utilize citrate when oxygen levels are low. They transport citrate into the cell and break it down. Lenski’s lab observed that the E. coli they had been culturing in the lab for many years could now utilize citrate under normal oxygen levels (likely through mutation, although no genetic studies were released in relation to the finding). Rather than an “a major innovation” or the “making of a rare and complex new trait” it was simply a change in the regulation of when citrate is used by E. coli!

As I stated in the article,


Since E. coli already possess the ability to transport and utilize citrate under certain conditions, it is conceivable that they could adapt and gain the ability to utilize citrate under broader conditions. This does not require the addition of new genetic information or functional systems (there are no known “additive” mechanisms). Instead degenerative events are likely to have occurred resulting in the loss of regulation and/or specificity.

In other words, the types of changes in E. coli observed by Lenski do not add new genetic information that over eons of time can lead from microbes to man. They simply alter (in a degenerative fashion) genetic information that was already present.

I’ll conclude with this:


It is interesting that in spite of the clear evidence for the adaptation of E. coli, Lenski refers to his findings as evidence for bacteria developing a “key innovation” and a “new function” and a “fascinating case of evolution in action.” Obviously, presuppositions (human reason apart from God vs. God’s Word) play a major role in interpreting the evidence. Richard Lenski and I are looking at the same evidence but drawing different conclusions based on our source of truth—man’s ideas or God’s ideas. It is only possible to obtain truth about the past if we start with the only source of absolute truth in the present—the inerrant Word of God.

So there you have it, Huff Post, I’ve responded. Enjoy!

Keep fighting the good fight of the faith![1] Dominique Mosbergen, “Bill Nye ‘The Science Guy’ Slammed by Creation Museum, Pastor Ray Comfort, September 2, 2012.

[2] Zachary Blount, et al., “Historical Contingency and the Evolution of a Key Innovation in an Experimental Population of Escherichia coli,” PNAS 105 no. 23 (2008): 7899–7906.

[3] Bob Holmes, “Bacteria Make Major Evolutionary Shift in the Lab,” New Scientist, June 9, 2008.

[4] Georgia Purdom, “A Poke in the Eye? Lenski and the Adaptive Acrobatics of E. coli,” June 30, 2008.

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Life is Irreducibly Complex

As we learn more about biological life, it becomes increasingly apparent that its similarity to complex machines is startlingly strong. Yet, because science has been redefined to exclude the possibility of a designer, we are left without any plausible explanation of how life developed.

Michael Behe is a biochemistry professor at Lehigh University who wonderfully illustrates the similarity between mechanical machines and biological life in his book, Darwin’s Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution. According to Dr. Behe, even at the smallest biochemical level, life is made up of irreducibly complex machines. Although these machines are made of proteins instead of metal, their complexity is proof that they could only have been produced by an incomprehensibly intelligent designer.

The perfect example of an irreducibly complex machine is the simple mouse trap. This machine consists of at least five parts: the platform, the spring, the hammer, the catch, and the hold-down latch bar. The absence of any one of these components will turn the machine into a piece of useless junk. Furthermore, each of the components has to be designed to a specific size and positioned in a specific place in order for the mouse trap to function. Thus, the simple mousetrap is irreducibly complex … it will not function unless all five pieces are in place. It is this interdependence of the individual parts which makes it so obvious that the simple mousetrap has a designer.

Biological life is also made from irreducibly complex structures, even at the smallest molecular level. For instance, there are millions of organisms, including human bodies, which use a structure called a cilium to either swim or move things around within a creature. Cilia are hair-like structures attached to cells which beat like a whip in order to move foreign particles out of our lungs. Sperm also use cilia to swim. Because these structures are so biologically important and so widespread throughout the animal kingdom, Dr. Behe estimates that TEN THOUSAND technical papers have been published on various aspects of cilia.

Like the mouse trap, cilia require several components in order to operate. In the case of a mousetrap, the components are specifically sized pieces of metal and wood. In the case of cilia, they are specifically shaped proteins. The absolute minimum number of components needed for a cilium to operate are three: proteins forming the hair-like fibers (the rotor), proteins linking the adjacent fibers so that they do not fly apart (links), and proteins which contract to cause its whipping motion (the motor). Without all three of these components - the structure would not function. Thus, cilia are irreducibly complex machines. In reality, cilia contain hundreds of different proteins and all are required for its operation. But even these three specific proteins could never have formed by chance mutations. All three are specifically designed to function together and if any one as missing, the cilia could not operate. Thus, the cilia would become a useless drag line hindering the motion of the organism rather than aiding its survival.

In Dr. Behe’s words, “The amount of scientific research which has been done... leads many people to assume that even if they don’t know how cilia evolved, somebody must know. But the search of professional literature proves them wrong. Nobody knows.”

Nobody knows where cilia came from because cilia are irreducibly complex and can never be explained without a supernatural designer. Yet most biochemists are trained to ignore this possibility when examining biological features. If the correct answer has been eliminated; is it any wonder that ten thousand papers can be written on cilia and not one can explain their origin?

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Todo restituido en Él

Una recopilación

¡Oh, Dios, exáltate sobre todas mis posesiones! Ninguno de los tesoros de la tierra será agradable para mí, si Tú te glorificas en mi vida. Te ensalzaré a Ti más que a mis amistades. He decidido colocarte por encima de todo, aunque eso me cueste quedar desterrado y solo en medio de la tierra. Exáltate sobre todas mis comodidades. Aunque eso signifique renunciar a mis comodidades y el tener que llevar la cruz, yo guardaré el voto que hago en este día. Exáltate sobre mi reputación. Hazme ambicioso solo de agradarte a Ti, aunque eso signifique que me hunda en la oscuridad y mi nombre quede olvidado como un sueño. Exáltate, Señor, a Tu sitio de honor por encima de todas mis ambiciones, mis gustos y mis disgustos, sobre mi familia, sobre mi salud y aun sobre mi vida misma. Permíteme menguar, para que Tú puedas crecer, déjame hundir para que tú puedas surgir. Cabalga sobre mí, como lo hiciste al entrar a Jerusalén, montado en un pollino, hijo de asna, y permíteme escuchar las voces de las muchedumbres: «¡Hosana en las alturas!» Aiden Tozer[1]

*

Supongo que podría considerarme a mí mismo o pasar por un hombre relativamente exitoso. Cada tanto las personas se me quedan mirando en la calle… eso es ser famoso. Puedo ganar, sin mayor dificultad, lo suficiente como para figurar en el segmento superior de Hacienda o Impuestos Internos… eso también es ser famoso. Con algo de dinero y fama, hasta los ancianos, si les da la gana, pueden disfrutar de las diversiones de moda. Eso es placer. Puede llegar a suceder que, de cuando en cuando, prestaron suficiente atención a algo que dije o escribí como para que me convenza de que tuve impacto en nuestros tiempos… eso es sentirse realizado. No obstante, les digo —y les ruego que me crean— que si multiplican esos pequeños triunfos por un millón y los suman todos, equivalen a nada. A menos que nada, en realidad, si se los compara con una gota de esa agua de vida que Cristo ofrece a quienes tienen sed de lo espiritual, sin importar quiénes o qué sean en la vida. Malcolm Muggeridge[2]

*

Ahora bien, lo que conviene a toda criatura es entregarse a su Creador; establecer intelectual, voluntaria y emocionalmente esa relación que se da por el mero hecho de ser criatura. Cuando así lo hace, es una criatura buena que se siente feliz. A menos que loconsideremos un inconveniente, esta clase de bien se genera en un ámbito muy superior al de las criaturas, ya que Dios mismo, en calidad de Hijo, desde la eternidad, por obediencia filial devuelve al Padre el Ser que el Padre, por amor paternal, genera en el Hijo desde toda eternidad. El hombre fue hecho para imitar este modelo, modelo que imitó el hombre del Paraíso; y dondequiera que la voluntad conferida por el Creador se retorne tan perfectamente, mediante una obediencia deleitosa y deliciosa por parte de la criatura, ahí, sin lugar a dudas, se encuentra el Cielo, y ahí obra el Espíritu Santo. En el mundo, tal como lo conocemos ahora, el problema radica en cómo recuperar ese abandono de uno mismo. C. S. Lewis[3]

*

¿Cuándo se llega a la etapa en la que les basta con Jesús? Pues eso depende de ustedes. Depende de cuánto aprendan de sus experiencias y cuánto pongan en práctica los consejos de Mi Palabra.

Todo depende de decisiones que se tomen y el equilibrio con que las tomen. Si lo que buscan primordialmente es satisfacer su naturaleza terrena, entonces Yo no los satisfaré. En cambio, si optan por Mí y eligen según lo que quiero, los deseos carnales se volverán menos importantes para ustedes.

Cuanto más elijan satisfacer su espíritu, más satisfacción espiritual recibirán de Mí. Es un hábito que se cultiva. Si alimentan su carne, tendrán más ansias de la carne; pero si se concentran en apacentar su espíritu, desearán lo espiritual. En última instancia, la satisfacción espiritual es lo único que realmente los satisfará.

Yo satisfaré su espíritu, pero la decisión depende de ustedes, de lo que elijan y el rumbo que tomen con sus decisiones.

«Solo lo que se haga por Cristo perdurará». Es una verdad innegable. Los resultados y los frutos de las decisiones de acercarse a Mí duran para siempre en Mi mundo, que es a donde se dirigen todos ustedes.

Por eso, Mis amores, Mis tesoros por los que lo entregué todo, quiero que sean tan felices como puedan. Oro por ustedes para que así sea. Conmigo les bastará, si quieren que así sea. Jesús, hablando en profecía[4]

*

Gustoso y por entero, Señor, a Ti me entrego;
eternamente tuyo, por siempre yo seré.
Hijo de Dios, que me amas, a Ti te pertenezco,
y todo lo que tengo y soy, desde este día tuyo es.
Francis Ridley Havergal

*

Todo a Ti, Señor, me rindo, a Tus pies postrado estoy.
Dejo todo lo del mundo y te sigo desde hoy.
Yo me entrego a Ti, yo me entrego a Ti.
¡Oh, Jesús, con toda el alma yo me entrego a Ti!

Salvador, a Ti me entrego, sí, de todo corazón.
Que Tu Espíritu yo sienta y me haga ver que Tuyo soy.
Yo me entrego a Ti, yo me entrego a Ti.
¡Oh, Jesús, con toda el alma yo me entrego a Ti!

A Tus pies yo deposito por entero hoy mi ser.
Lléname de amor y fuerzas y Tu amor podré ofrecer.
Yo me entrego a Ti, yo me entrego a Ti.
¡Oh, Jesús, con toda el alma yo me entrego a Ti!

*

Dios retiene la felicidad y seguridad estables que todos deseamos debido a la naturaleza misma del mundo. Sin embargo, Él ha derramado sobre nosotros gozo, placer y alegría en abundancia. Nunca estamos a salvo (permanentemente), pero tenemos muchas alegrías y algo de éxtasis. No es difícil entender el porqué. Contar con esa seguridad que tanto ansiamos nos enseñaría a poner nuestros corazones en este mundo y representarían un obstáculo en nuestro retorno a Dios. Unos momentos fugaces de dicha en el amor, un paisaje, una sinfonía, un feliz encuentro con nuestros amigos, un baño o un partido de fútbol no bastan para encaminarnos en ese derrotero. Nuestro Padre nos refresca en el camino con algunas posadas agradables, pero no nos alienta a confundirlas con el hogar. C. S. Lewis[5]

*

¿Por qué debemos consagrarnos a Dios? Porque Él se entregó por completo a nosotros. Si Dios, que no nos debe absolutamente nada, está dispuesto a entregarse nada menos que a sí mismo a nosotros, ¿acaso habremos nosotros de responderle con una fracción de lo que podemos darle? Consagrarnos a Dios es una manera de recibir al propio Dios. Yo para Dios y Dios para mí. Yo vivo para Dios y renuncio a mí misma, y así logro que Dios viva para mí. Por lo tanto, al poseer a Dios debemos permitir que Él posea nuestra alma. Madre Teresa de Calcuta

*

Hemos sido hechos para Dios, y solo siendo de alguna manera corno Él, solo siendo una manifestación de Su belleza, de Su bondad amorosa, de Su sabiduría o virtud, los seres amados terrenos han podido despertar nuestro amor. No es que los hubiéramos amado demasiado, sino que no entendíamos bien qué era lo que estábamos amando. No es que se nos vaya a pedir que los dejemos, tan entrañablemente familiares como nos han sido, por un Extraño. Cuando veamos el rostro de Dios sabremos que siempre lo hemos conocido. Ha formado parte, ha hecho, sostenido y movido, momento a momento, desde dentro, todas nuestras experiencias terrenas de amor puro. Todo lo que era en ellas amor verdadero, aun en la tierra era mucho más Suyo que nuestro, y solo era nuestro por ser Suyo. En el Cielo no habrá angustia ni el deber de dejar a nuestros seres queridos de la tierra. Primero, porque ya los habremos dejado: los retratos por el Original, los riachuelos por la Fuente, las criaturas que Él hizo amables por el Amor en sí mismo. Pero, en segundo lugar, porque los encontraremos a todos en Él. Al amarlo a Él más que a ellos, los amaremos más de lo que ahora los amamos. C. S. Lewis[6]

*

Al final podrán decir, como han dicho tantas veces Mis siervos consagrados: «Puedes quedarte con todo este mundo, ¡pero dame a Jesús!» Al final descubrirán que les basta con amarme y vivir por Mí, y que a medida que lo hagan, todo lo que necesitan les será añadido. Al renunciar a todo, lo reciben todo.

Entréguense a Mí con alabanza y acción de gracias, sabiendo que lo hago todo bien y por amor a ustedes. Si desean adquirir esas características, si quieren ser capaces de decir que con Jesús les basta, pídanme que haga lo que sea necesario para infundirles esa actitud. Comiencen a ver cada acontecimiento de su vida como una oportunidad de conocerme mejor y poner a prueba Mis promesas. A medida que lo hagan los convertiré en nuevas criaturas. Les doy Mi Palabra. Lo prometo.

Conmigo les basta porque soy todo lo que satisface sus necesidades espirituales. Soy amor, soy bondad, soy ternura, soy paciente, soy misericordia. Yo soy lo que satisface su espíritu. Soy Yo. Soy el árbol que da los frutos que los satisfacen. Me refiero a su naturaleza principal, a la forma en que se los creó para empezar; a su ser espiritual.

A lo largo de la vida procuro conducir a cada uno de vuelta a Mí. Primero lo hago mediante la salvación. Después, con el alimento de Mi Palabra y las experiencias, procuro ayudar a todos a ahondar tanto como elijan en Mi Espíritu. Cuanto más ahondan, más felices son. Jesús, hablando en profecía[7]

Publicado en Áncora en septiembre de 2012. Traducción: Quiti y Antonia López.


[1] The Pursuit of God (La búsqueda de Dios).

[2] Distinguido periodista inglés, en su libro Jesus Rediscovered.

[3] The Problem of Pain (El problema del dolor).

[4] Publicado por primera vez en junio de 2006.

[5] The Problem of Pain.

[6] The Four Loves.

[7] Publicado por primera vez en junio de 2006.

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Plano de Saúde Milagroso

Anchor

Nos últimos seis anos de trabalho missionário testemunhei milagres surpreendentes de provisão, orientação e proteção.

Recentemente um amigo me perguntou qual tinha sido o meu maior salto de fé até hoje. Foi difícil escolher um momento, porque aprendi que sempre que Jesus apresenta um desafio e eu o supero por meio da fé, ele faz um upgrade e envia um desafio um pouco mais complicado, que exige mais fé. Por causa disso, a minha fé vive em um crescente constante.

Mas existe uma ocasião que posso afirmar foi um ponto decisivo na minha vida de fé. Eu tinha 18 anos e estava a caminho da Etiópia com outro missionário. Nunca havíamos ido para lá; na verdade, era a minha primeira vez na África, por isso eu estava um pouco insegura. Chegamos a Frankfurt, Alemanha, e na estação de trem puxamos conversa com duas pessoas que, coincidentemente, eram da Etiópia. Elas nos apresentaram à sua igreja e diferentes pessoas ali. Não tínhamos dinheiro para os bilhetes aéreos, e já estava em cima da hora.

Uns dias antes eu comecei a sentir um incômodo no estômago que logo se tornaram pontadas dolorosas. Até então eu nunca tinha ficado doente de verdade, por isso ignorei aquele desconforto. Na véspera da nossa viagem, de manhã, acordei de repente, sem despertador ou barulho. Sentia que algo não estava bem. Levantei-me e desmaiei.

Quando voltei a mim alguns minutos depois, a dor era excruciante. Meu amigo acordou com o barulho da minha queda e não sabia qual era o problema. Depois dealgumas horas no hospital, os médicos diagnosticaram que eu tinha cistos no ovário e os dois maiores haviam rompido, o que causou hemorragia interna.

Os médicos explicaram que eu precisava ser operada de urgência e pediram as informações sobre o meu plano de saúde – que eu não tinha. Era jovem, estreando na vida missionária… sinceramente, eu nunca havia pensado em plano de saúde. Um médico ficou bastante chateado e explicou detalhadamente que a cirurgia custaria por volta de 15 mil euros e eu ia ter que pagar. “O que você vai fazer?” Quando eu disse, hesitante, que acreditava em um milagre de Deus, ele riu na minha cara.

Senti medo, e ouvia uma vozinha lá no fundo dizendo: “É um castigo por todos os seus erros. Se realmente tivesse fé isto não estaria acontecendo”. Eles não deixaram o meu amigo entrar, então fiquei ali na maca sozinha pensando o que fazer? Foi então que entrou no quarto um anjo disfarçado de enfermeira que disse, “Não se preocupe com o dinheiro. Você é filha de Deus. Se não tiver fé em mais nada, pelo menos confie no amor dEle por você”.

Depois que decidi fazer a cirurgia fiquei sabendo que meus amigos que faziam projetos humanitários na Europa e na África estavam tendo uma vigília de oração de hora em hora e vendo maneiras de pagar as despesas. A recuperação foi muito difícil. Eu não podia receber visitas frequentes do meu amigo, mas o que mais me incomodava era que eu já devia estar na Etiópia.

Alguns meses antes eu dedicara a minha vida a servir Jesus, mas antes disso estava bem distanciada da vida de fé.Como vou pagar a operação? Será que Deus está me castigando? Por que isso aconteceu?

Uma senhora foi internada no meu quarto e eu a ouvia conversar com a filha, “Eu não quero morrer. Não quero enfrentar os castigos de Deus. O que vai acontecer com a minha família... por que Deus permitiu isto?” Ela falava em turco, e apesar de eu não ser fluente, conseguia entender tudo o que ela dizia.

Comecei então a conversar com ela por meio da filha, que falava inglês. Falei do amor de Deus que é perfeito. Mencionei que Deus permite sofrimento para entendermos melhor o Seu amor e ficarmos mais perto dEle. E assim me vieram as respostas para os temores e dúvidas que eu própria estava enfrentando enquanto falava com ela.

Ela estava com câncer no intestino em fase terminal e a cirurgia apresentava apenas 30% de chance de sucesso. No dia antes de eu receber alta ela me chamou e disse, “O Alcorão refere-se a Jesus como Aquele que cura. Ouvi você orar a Ele. Por favor, ore pela minha vida”. Toda a família dela estava ali, cheia de fé, contando com uma resposta. Não lembro como orei ou o que disse, mas estava muito desesperada para Jesus fazer algo e honrar a fé de todos eles.

No dia seguinte recebi alta e recomendação para ficar em repouso duas semanas. O único problema é que eu não tinha para onde ir. Recebi um documento dizendo que tinha um mês para apresentar ao hospital uma forma de pagamento. Fui até à portaria e sentei para orar.

Umas duas horas depois ouvi alguém me chamar. Era a filha da senhora turca que fora operada. Ela dizia, “É um milagre! É um milagre de Deus!”. E então explicou que antes da operação os médicos decidiram fazer outra tomografia, já que o câncer tinha dominado os intestinos. Mas então eles viram algo completamente diferente. O tumor tinha sumido. Havia apenas um pequeno caroço na parte superior do intestino. A operação foi rápida e ela estava bem. Os médicos disseram que nunca tinham visto algo assim, que era um milagre.

Passei duas semanas com aquela família. Durante esse período eles fizeram perguntas sobre o amor de Deus e o poder de Jesus para curar. O pai, a mãe e a filha também receberam Jesus e tiveram uma mudança de vida.

E o milagre que eu precisava para pagar a conta do hospital? Olha, na segunda semana, tremendo, mas com muita fé que Jesus resolveria tudo, eu fui ao hospital, dei o meu nome e fiquei esperando ser chamada na tesouraria. Finalmente uma senhora me chamou. Olhou para mim sem entender, consultou a ficha, e então perguntou a data e o local de nascimento. Quando falei ela balançou a cabeça e ficou 40 minutos, que pareceram uma eternidade, digitando, fazendo ligações e ficando cada vez mais chateada e frustrada.

No final ela colocou o arquivo na mesa e disse: “Olha, não tem registro nenhum de internação”. Acho que fiz uma cara mais sem noção do que ela. “Tivemos uma paciente internada com o nome igual ao seu, mas, segundo os registros, ela tinha 76 anos e artrose. O tratamento dela foi coberto pelo plano de saúde. Não podemos cobrar de você se não existe registro da sua internação. Você está liberada!”

Saí daquele escritório mal acreditando em Jesus e no Seu incrível senso de humor que tinha trocado os meus registros pelos de uma senhora de 76 anos. Quando voltei à casa dos meus amigos e contei o acontecido, a mãe ligou para o hospital só para ter certeza. A secretária atendeu e confirmou que não havia nenhum registro da minha internação, e disse, “E aqui na Alemanha, se não está registrado, não aconteceu”.

Antes desse milagre, eu sempre achei que milagres aconteciam para pessoas mais espiritualizadas, mais perto de Jesus. Durante esse tempo eu nunca me senti uma pessoa cheia de fé. Na verdade, estava super abalada, lutando para confiar que Jesus me amava.

Lembrar dessa experiência me ajuda muito quando enfrento situações em que não tenho os requisitos para receber um milagre. Mas desde então, os milagres na minha vida sempre aconteceram quando parei de usar o “bom senso” e simplesmente disse a Jesus que dependia dEle, apenas dEle, e então fazia o que Ele me pedia.

Tradução Hebe Rondon Flandoli. Revisão Denise Oliveira.

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Pass on the Invitation

A compilation

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“Adventure” sounds exciting, but “unexpected” sounds ... well ... abrupt and often unwelcome, especially if you’re someone who likes to have everything mapped out ahead of time. If that’s you, then you may need to loosen your grip on control. Jesus said in John 3:8: “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” In other words, as followers of Jesus, we should start expecting the unexpected.

It’s easy to confuse what we’ve planned for what’s really important. The meeting you’re in might seem like your top priority, but the unanticipated phone call from your son, daughter, friend, or neighbor might be much more momentous in the long run for both of you.

Isn’t it interesting that many of Jesus’ most memorable actions were done in response to intrusions into his own plans and schedule? His powerful words to Nicodemus, some of which I quoted above from John 3, came after Nicodemus showed up one night—unannounced and uninvited—to ask a few theological questions. As a result, Jesus was able to seize the opportunity to teach this respected religious leader what it means to experience a genuine spiritual birth and the forgiveness and life that come with it.

Later in John 9 we see Jesus walking along the road (on his way to do important things) when he sees a blind man begging by the side of the path. Rather than viewing him as a distraction, Jesus recognizes a chance to express divine love and compassion. So he stops and heals the man, who immediately becomes a participant in the unexpected adventure himself.

In John 11, Jesus received word that his friend Lazarus was gravely ill. Jesus again changed his plans and made the journey to Bethany. As a result, he not only was able to comfort his friends, who by then were grieving Lazarus’s death, but he also performed a miracle, raising this man back to life and, simultaneously, raising the hopes of everyone in the region who saw or heard about his amazing work.

There’s no doubt about it: the adventure is as much in the journey as in the destination. So open your eyes today to your surroundings. Become more spiritually circumspect. Yes, do your work, pay your bills, and attend to your hundred daily details. But remember that as a Christ-follower your mission is never just about tasks or achievement.

First and foremost, it’s about loving, serving, and reaching the people God places in your life. Their interruptions can become portals into the realms of his supernatural activity and divine impact.—Mark Mittelberg1

*

How much time is necessary to lead a person to faith in Jesus? As much time as that person requires. It varies with each person, but this is not the right question. What we should be asking is this: How much time am I willing to invest into the spiritual life of some lost friend? The cost is great, because time is a precious commodity. We waste countless hours doing things of no eternal value: we watch TV shows with no intrinsic worth; read books with no spiritual significance; play games that edify no one; chat online into the wee hours of the morning—but we jealously guard what little free time we have left over after doing these meaningless activities. We resent the implication that our time could be better spent. We boast of our busy schedules as if they prove our worth as persons, but we do not realize that our busyness keeps us from matters of real value. Most believers, if asked and if honest, would say they are too busy to be involved in any kind of witnessing activity. They are wrong on two fronts. First, they have more free time than they think they do; they just need to reprioritize their activities. Second, the claim to be too busy to witness reveals their belief that witnessing takes place only at a set, programmed time. If they would approach witnessing as a lifestyle, they would find ample time to talk to others about Jesus.—Woody D. Wilson2

*

Whether in paid jobs or volunteer positions, He never gives us a place or situation that is too small to grow a witness in if we just pray and look around us. The world is full of people who need comfort, encouragement, hope, love, truth, and God’s answers. They’re there surrounding you, no matter where you may be. All it takes is a little searching to find those who are needy.

There are times and places for great beacons of God’s light, and there are times when He knows that the lights most needed are the many small ones. God’s Word, brought to life in His children can be, as the psalmist described, “a lamp unto their feet and a light unto their path.”3 Many times, those small lights to guide their next step are critical. You have to be walking at their side to help light their steps in such a personal way. So if that’s where He’s put you, enjoy the opportunity to share His light with them.—Maria Fontaine4

*

Jesus, God the Son, was born of a woman and lived the life of a human. He was the nature and character of God in human flesh. His actions, His words, the life He lived, manifested what God is like, made tangible in the life of Jesus. The ultimate love, the deep compassion, the hatred of evil; the anger at injustice, hypocrisy, and taking advantage of the poor and weak; the mercy and understanding; all of these were the personality of God played out in a way that we, as humans, could understand.

Jesus was God’s love, God’s Word, walking the earth. He was called to pay the ultimate price of dying for the sins of those in the world, and in doing so, He made it possible for us to be reconciled to God, to become God’s children, to have the right to receive the inheritance of our Father, which is eternal life.

We, as members of God’s family, His adopted children,5 play a role in God’s great story, in His love for humanity, His love for His creation. We are called to share this story with those who haven’t heard it, who don’t understand it, and who have trouble believing it. With God’s Spirit dwelling in us, we are temples of the Holy Spirit. We are ambassadors of Christ, who have a personal relationship with God, and our commission from Jesus Himself is to share the message, to tell the story, to let others know that they can be part of God’s family. They can become part of God’s kingdom, of His new creation. Their sins can be forgiven, all for free, since the price of their entry into God’s family has been paid for. It’s theirs for the asking.

It’s helpful to remember the end result of it all, what God is offering, so it’s fresh in our hearts and minds when we offer it to others. Those who become members of God’s family will live forever in a place of incredible beauty, which is “prepared as a bride adorned for her husband,”6 with the radiance of jewels,7 with a wall constructed from precious stones.8 A place with no need of the sun or stars, for God will be its light.9There will be no death, mourning, crying, or pain.10 It’s a place that is free from all evil,11 a place where God will dwell with men.12—Forever! Ours is a message of joy, of happiness, of the possibility of eternal life in the most wonderful place possible, and a renewed life now. It truly is the most important message there is.

As partakers of these eternal blessings, as His ambassadors, His messengers, we should do our very best to live in a manner which reflects God and His love, which lets people see God’s light and feel His warmth through us, His children. We are to be messengers of the divine invitation, inviting one and all to the feast, to the kingdom of God.13 We are to preach the Gospel, the good news that anyone can become God’s child, that His free gift is available to everyone.

We are to be messengers of love, in word and in deed, to a world desperately in need of God, of His love, His forgiveness, and His mercy.14 We are His messengers; our job is to pass on the invitation, to share the good news, to tell the story, and to do so in a language that they understand, through our words, our actions, and our love. Invite them!

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.15—Peter Amsterdam16

Published on Anchor September 2012. Read by Simon Peterson.


1 The Unexpected Adventure (Zondervan, 2009).

2 The Shadow of Babel (CrossHouse Publishing, 2009).

3 Psalm 119:105.

4 Previously published March 2012.

5 When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. Galatians 4:4–7 ESV.

6 I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Revelation 21:2 ESV.

7 He carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. Revelation 21:10–11 ESV.

8 The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass. Revelation 21:18–21 ESV.

9 The city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. Revelation 21:23 ESV.

10 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. Revelation 21:4 ESV.

11 Nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. Revelation 21:27 ESV.

12 I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.” Revelation 21:3 ESV.

13 The master said to the servant, “Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.” Luke 14:23 ESV.

14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? Romans 10:14 ESV.

15 Revelation 22:17 ESV.

16 Previously published February 2012.

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IS WATER BAPTISM ESSENTIAL FOR SALVATION?

http://4witness.org/mormon/baptism.php


Some religious groups that claim to be Christian, including Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses, teach that in addition to professing faith in Jesus Christ, one must also be physically baptized for salvation.

This belief, also called “baptismal regeneration,” forms the basis for a works plus faith doctrine that requires physical water baptism to be performed upon a new convert by authorized personnel within the religious institution before members consider the convert “saved.” There are several problems with this belief. First of all, when Scripture expounds on the salvation process, rarely is physical water baptism even mentioned. Instead, emphasis is given to faith (belief/trust) in Jesus Christ’s death, burial and resurrection and repentance (confessing and turning away from sin) to make Jesus Christ Lord and Savior. Secondly, as the following Scriptures explain, salvation is said to be “by faith” alone, apart from the works of human righteousness. Notice that baptism is not even mentioned in any of these verses:


“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” —John 3:16

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”—Ephesians 2:8-9

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”—Romans 5:1

“That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heartthat God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” —Romans 10:9

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and tocleanse us from all unrighteousness.” —1 John 1:9

“And after he brought them out, he said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ ” —Acts 16:30-31

“Therefore they said to Him, ‘What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, thatyou believe in Him whom He has sent.’ ”—John 6:28-29

Thus, if one adds the work of physical baptism to the salvation process, this would invalidate Scripture’s emphasis upon justification by faith alone and fall under the condemnation of Scripture that explains:


“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.” — Titus 3:5

“You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” — Galatians 5:4

Thirdly, when physical baptism is mentioned in Scripture, it is given in the context of Christian discipleship and used as a sign of true saving faith (Matthew 28:19; Acts 10:47).  There is a difference between what Christians “do” in obedience to Christ after salvation and what is given as a necessary requirement for salvation.
JOHN 3:3-7:


“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?’ Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, “You must be born again.” ’ ”

In this passage, Jesus clearly articulates what he means by proclaiming that one must be “born again.” In response to Nicodemus’ question about how a person can be physically “born” twice from his “mother’s womb,” Jesus explains that the first birth is “of water” by being “born of the flesh” (i.e., out of the womb), while the second birth is “of the Spirit” which is the making alive of one’s “spirit” through a spiritual baptism. Titus 3:5 explains:


“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.”

Here we see that the “washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” is a reference to the spiritual birth or baptism spoken of by Jesus when He told Nicodemus that he must be “born of the Spirit.” This spiritual baptism occurs at the moment a person places his faith in Christ, just as Jesus promised that He would send His Holy Spirit to indwell His followers:


“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. …But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” —John 16:7, 13

“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.” —Ephesians 1:13-14

“However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” —Romans 8:9-11

It is noticeable that in none of these passages is the physical act of water baptism given as a prerequisite to the spiritual baptism of being “born of the Spirit” during salvation. Rather, emphasis is given to the indwelling and sealing of the Holy Spirit immediately upon trusting Christ for salvation.

1 PETER 3:21:


“Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

Here the term “baptism” is clarified as “not of the removal of dirt from the flesh” (i.e., water baptism), but rather “an appeal to God for a good conscience” —that is, baptism by the Holy Spirit who regenerates and renews the spiritual side of a person so that they can have a “clear conscience” through Christ before God. Thus, this passage does not support baptismal regeneration.

ROMANS 6:3-4:


“Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

Here again, we see “baptism” being used as a symbol of the spiritual baptism that occurred when one died to the sins of his old life and made Jesus Lord and Master (Romans 10:9). 

. 2 Corinthians 5:17 explains:
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

Next, consider the example of the thief who died next to Jesus at Luke 23. Although he was not baptized when he placed his faith in Christ, Jesus promised him:


“...today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” —Luke 23:43

Finally, consider that Paul excluded water baptism from the preaching of the Gospel when He said:


“For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel…” —1 Corinthians 1:17

ACTS 2:38:


“Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’ ”

While this verse is often used to support baptismal regeneration, the real dispute in this verse is over the use of the word “for” in the phrase “for the forgiveness of your sins.” There are two ways one can interpret this word:

“For” can mean “to cause” the “forgiveness of your sins.” OR
“For” can mean “on account of” the “forgiveness of your sins.”

Reconciling this passage with the rest of Scripture, we would hold to the second meaning of the word “for” being applied here so that the verse in essence would be saying: “...be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ [on account of] the forgiveness of your sins.” Thus, Acts 2:38 would be viewed as proclaiming that because one’s sins are already forgiven through faith and repentance, one should also become baptized.

Another way to interpret this passage is to view the word “baptism” used in this passage as a reference to the spiritual baptism described at Titus 3:5 where the “gift of the Holy Spirit” regenerates and renews the spiritual side of a person. This would also fit with the context of this passage where it proclaims that one would “receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” upon being baptized. If baptism in this occurrence is a reference to the spiritual baptism of the Holy Spirit that occurs at the moment that a person places his faith in Christ and is saved, it would also agree with the testimony of Acts 10:44-47 where we read that the gift of the Holy Spirit was given before physical water baptism took place:


“While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered, ‘Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?’”

Thus, either interpretation of this passage fits with the context of Scripture that demonstrates that salvation occurs by faith in Christ alone, prior to water baptism.

ACTS 22:16:


“Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.”

Notice that this passage describes the washing “away” of sins. The only question is whether this occurs with the act of being “baptized” or the act of “calling on His name.” We would view it as being connected to the latter phrase, “calling on His name.” Thus, the washing away of sins would occur the moment a person calls upon the name of Christ for salvation, not at the moment of physical, water baptism.

MARK 16:16:


“He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.”

While Mark 16:16 comes the closest to teaching baptismal regeneration, it still falls short when one considers the second part of the verse that proclaims that the only person who is “condemned” is the person who does not believe. Thus, a person is “condemned” for failing to believe in Christ, not for being un-baptized. So, even with this passage, one can argue that the baptism mentioned in the first part of the verse is a reference to the act of obedience that occurs after the “belief” that saved the person is professed.

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Tips on Witnessing to Jehovah´s Witnesses

Tips on Witnessing to Jehovah's Witnesses

How do Jehovah's Witnesses' teachings about Christ compare with the Scriptures?
Should John 1:1 be translated, "The Word was God" or "The Word was a god"?
Was Jesus God, manifest in human form?

Witnesses of Jehovah, Good News Defenders

Books…
Falling in Truth, Steve McRoberts

Speaking the Truth in Love to Jehovah's Witnesses

I was raised as a Jehovah's Witness and remained one until age 11. Coming out of this cult, I entered my teenage years as a bitter atheist where I remained until I graduated fromcollege. Through God's amazing grace I was saved in 1994 after reading the Bible and realizing that it was indeed the true Word of God.

Repeatedly God has blessed me with the passion and privilege to witness to the Jehovah's Witnesses. You've almost certainly had them come knocking on your door on a Saturday afternoon and you may have even engaged a Jehovah's Witness in a theological discussion. In talking to other Christians I find that when presented with a face-to-face encounter with a Jehovah's Witness there are usually two responses:

1) A “frontal assault” via debate or heated discussion; or
2) A polite "no thanks, I'm already a Christian" followed by an all too abrupt closing of the door.

For the mature Christian, what's usually missing is the realization that this is a true witnessing opportunity--one that has arrived right at your doorstep.

In my earliest attempts at grabbing the proverbial bull by the horns, I tried engaging them in direct debates, often quoting from several texts I had studied regarding the cultic practices of the Jehovah's Witnesses. After several failed “conversion” attempts, often ending with thoroughly frustrated Jehovah's Witnesses unwilling to ever return to my residence, I arrived at a startling realization: Jehovah's Witnesses are real people, with real needs and real feelings. They can feel frustration, anger, fear, and confusion. I then realized that the reason my frontal assaults on the Jehovah's Witnesses never seemed to work was because I had not put myself in their place and taken their feelings into account.

A wise man once said, "When you want to get someone's attention, you don't shine a flashlight in their eyes." In presenting my arguments and facts without giving them time to prepare, I had forgotten that they were human beings searching for the truth. I had not been speaking this truth in love.

Months later, when I was againpresented with an opportunity to speak with Jehovah's Witnesses at my door, I engaged them in conversation, and agreed to do a weekly Bible study with them in order to further discuss what exactly they believed. They agreed, with the understanding that along the way I would ask questions whenever we arrived at a topic or subject with which I disagreed or failed to understand. The amazing difference was that instead of blindsiding them with questions and points of contention, I was giving them an opportunity to prepare themselves for a topic of discussion.

More importantly, though, I began to care about them personally and yearn for their salvation.

In this way, I am able to meet with Witnesses on a weekly basis and take them off the streets, focusing on critical topics such as the requirement that one be born again to enter the kingdom of God, the unbiblical theology of a two-class system of believers, and the true identity of Jesus Christ.

Author: Clint DeBoer. Excerpted fromThe Evidence Bible by Ray Comfort


Encounters between Christians andJehovah's Witnesses typically revolve around a discussion of deity. The reason for this is twofold. First, this is the area where Watchtower theology deviates most dramatically from orthodox Christianity. 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



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The Benefits of Middle-Age Fitness

By Gretchen Reynolds, NY Times, September 5, 2012
Americans are living longer, with our average life expectancy now surpassing 78 years, up from less than 74 years in 1980. But we are not necessarily living better. The incidence of a variety of chronic diseases, like diabetes, cancer and heart disease, has also been growing dramatically, particularly among people who are not yet elderly.

The convergence of those two developments has led to what some researchers have identified as a “lengthening of morbidity.” That means we are spending more years living with chronic disease and ill health—not the outcome that most of us would hope for from a prolonged life span.

But a notable new study published last week in Archives of Internal Medicine suggests that a little advance planning could change that prospect. Being or becoming fit in middle age, the study found, even if you haven’t previously bothered with exercise, appears to reshape the landscape of aging.

For the study, researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and the Cooper Institute in Dallas gathered medical records for 18,670 middle-aged men and women who’d visited the Cooper Clinic (the medical arm of the Cooper Institute) for a checkup beginning in 1970.

The 18,670 men and women, with an average age of 49, were healthy and free of chronic diseases at their first checkup, when they all took a treadmill test to determine their aerobic fitness. Based on the results of this initial fitness test, the researchers divided the group into five fitness categories, with the bulk of the people residing, like most Americans, in the least-fit section.

Then, in a first-of-its-kind data comparison, the researchers checked the same individuals’ Medicare claim records (with permission) from 1999 through 2009, by which time most of the participants were in their 70s or 80s.

What they found was that those adults who had been the least fit at the time of their middle-age checkup also were the most likely to have developed any of eight serious or chronic conditions early in the aging process. These include heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and colon or lung cancer.

The adults who’d been the most fit in their 40s and 50s often developed many of the same conditions, but notably their maladies appeared significantly later in life than for the less fit.

While this finding might not seem, on its face, altogether positive, the results should be viewed as encouraging, says Dr. Benjamin Willis, a staff epidemiologist at the Cooper Institute who led the study. “I’m 58, and for me, the results were a big relief,” Dr. Willis said.

That’s because, he points out, the results show, in essence, that being physically fit “compresses the time” that someone is likely to spend being debilitated during old age, leaving the earlier post-retirement years free of serious illness and, at least potentially, imbued with a finer quality of life.

Of course, aging is a complicated process and extremely individualized, with the onset or absence of illness representing only one element in quality of life after age 65 or so. But it is a big element, says Dr. Jarett Berry, an assistant professor of internal medicine at U.T. Southwestern and an author of the study. “And since it appears to be associated with midlife fitness, it is amenable to change,” he continues.

So, exercising during midlife, especially if you haven’t been, can pay enormous later-life benefits, Dr. Berry says. And moving out of the least-fit category requires, he says, “only a small dose of exercise,” like 20 or 30 minutes of walking on most days of the week.

“You don’t have to become an athlete,” says Dr. Willis, who himself has little time for exercise but tries to fit in a daily walk. “Just getting up off the couch is key.”

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National debt hits $16 trillion

By Andrew Taylor, AP, Sep 4, 2012
WASHINGTON (AP)—The Treasury Department said Tuesday that the national debt has topped $16 trillion, the result of chronic government deficits that have poured more than $50,000 worth of red ink onto federal ledgers for every man, woman and child in the United States.

The spiraling debt means that lawmakers and the eventual winner of the White House in November will have to pass a law early next year to raise the government’s borrowing cap from the current ceiling of $16.39 trillion. Passing such legislation last year proved enormously difficult and the nation’s credit rating suffered.

First, however, lawmakers will try during a post-election lame duck session to renew Bush-era tax cuts and head off a round of forced budget austerity as automatic budget cuts are scheduled in January to slam both the Pentagon and domestic programs. Those cuts were required by another failed set of budget talks last fall by a bipartisan “supercommittee.”

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has said the government will likely reach its debt limit at the end of the year. However, Geithner has said he will be able to employ various “extraordinary measures” to keep the government operating until sometime early next year. Geithner would need to use these measures if Congress, as expected, fails to tackle the debt limit by year’s end.

GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney promises sharp spending cuts and a balanced budget by 2020 if he wins the White House, but has provided little detail about how that might be accomplished.

For his part, Obama has declined to tackle the spiraling growth of benefit programs like Medicare and the Medicaid health program for the poor and disabled. His proposals to hike taxes on upper income earners have been repeatedly rejected by Republicans, but he promises to insist on them if he wins re-election.

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