Category: cults

Letter to a new Christian Pilgrim who is falling into a Jehovah Witness Trap

Dear Brother, the world that we live in has been distorted and redesigned to undermine and destroy our faith and our witness. This is NOT a game, it is spiritual warfare. You are in essence a Lamb ready for the slaughter because you have not yet acquired any of the necessary “armor” . Satan awaits like a roaring lion.
1) Be sincere and have a commitment to win with the Truth of God’s Word – GIRD UP YOUR LOINS with the Belt of Truth. Are you content to lose? Do you know what is at stake? Your usefulness on this earth and rewards in the kingdom are at stake. The souls of others may be depending on your insight and boldness! Even your own soul may be at stake, if you are lying to yourself and really do not know and trust in God. So gain wisdom and knowledge by studying God’s Word. “All the treasures of Wisdom and knowledge are found in Christ Jesus”,. So Gird up your loins with Truth!

2) Are you doing what is right by condemning the two people who drew you to the Lord and are therefore assigned to disciple you? You are judging them based on your attachment to the JW’s ! The JW’s are the ones who are keeping their own members and family from attending other churches and studying the real Bible on their own. You are very confused! You must have the Breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS to fight this battle! But you seem to have chosen to defend what you do not know in an attitude of rebelliousness, anger, & pride!
3) Have you prepared your feet for “The Gospel of Peace”? With these “feet” you are able to stand against Satan because they are anchored in the Gospel of Peace- on which you have made peace with God and know that you are saved. I doubt that you know that! With these “feet” one is strong in the Lord just as David was against Goliath. You have the courage to defeat evil & strongholds in your life.
4) The Shield of Faith protects us from the wiles of the devil whether it be illness, distractions, temptations, and any other attack. Every temptation you get is a lie! “Do this and you will be wise”, or “it will fill your need”, or “ this is the real truth God surely did not say that”….all these were used by Satan against Eve or Jesus and countless others!
5) The Helmet of Salvation or the “Hope of Salvation yet to come” (from 1Thess.) protects you from doubt and despair! This is protection from what will steal your joy & usefulness. This is confidence in God’s eternal Word & salvation.
6) Take the Sword of the Spirit, it is Rhema (a specific statement with Spiritual power), and is a sword that is designed to be used with precision for victory. Jesus quoted specific verses to Satan when tempted by him…that defeated him! Then with all prayer and petition you can seek the Holy Spirit at all times! This will make you strong. Are you drawn by his Word or are you content with having someone else interpret them for you in a false way?

Be careful that you do not go into a spiral of depression & despair that you seek truth from the “liar” & only find yourself helpless and hopeless. We understand that you are trying to protect and stand up for a “persecuted” minority that begs to be considered equal to any denomination. It is true that they have similarities with all the denominations including the Amish, Quakers, and other isolated groups. But you are the one who diminishes and hurts the Amish by aligning them with the JW’s. I dare you to call or write any Amish and suggest this- they will correct you in a heart’s beat! You apparently do not yet know what it means to be a church, a denomination, and even a Christian. You do not know Doctrine, Christology, Theology, Eschatology, nor the Hypostatic Union. So why are you challenging Angie and I who between us have 94 years of studying the Bible, prayer, teaching, and interacting with God and His people? What kind of pride is this? Let me ask you a simple logical question. If the JW’s are a denomination why have they written their own Bible?      The Amish and all the other denominations do not print their own version changing Words, meaning of words and phrases! The Amish people use KJV or the German Martin Luther Version. These and all the other mainline versions have the SAME DOCTRINES, THEOLOGY, HYPOSTATIC UNION ETC.  – WHEREAS THE “jw” version does NOT! Read Psalm 7: 14-15, Num. 32:23, Prov. 11:2, Prov. 16:18, and most of all Ed- Galatians 6:7-8 – Do Not mock God! 1Co 15:33 – Stop being deceived: “Wicked friends lead to evil ends.”

You REALLY NEED TO DIGEST WHAT THE APOSTLE PETER SAID: 2Pe 2:19 “Promising them freedom, they themselves are slaves to depravity, for a person is a slave to whatever conquers him. For if, after escaping the world’s corruptions through a full knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus, the Messiah, they are again entangled and conquered by those corruptions, then their last condition is worse than their former one. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to know it and turn their backs on the holy commandment that was committed to them.” Note that the JW’s will not go to any other church or sermon and if anyone does they will be defellowshiped!

JW’s change some of the MOST IMPORTANT THEOLOGICAL VERSES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT! Joh 1:1-3, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (not a god). He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. WHY! Because they believe that Jesus Christ was created! This goes against both OT and NT! Read the 1st Commandment! For Jesus to be created would mean idolatry! We are not to worship other gods nor the creation! Only God has no “cause”! Isaiah 9:6 says Jesus is “Almighty God, Everlasting Father” & Col. states, “For by him all things were created, in heaven & on earth, visible and invisible,” Their’s is NOT CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY: THEY teach that God is Jehovah and that He is “one Jehovah” and not part of a trinity. They teach that Jesus was just a man while on earth & NOT fully God. While in heaven He was & is the created angel, Michael. They teach that Jesus isn’t equal to Jehovah but is the manifestation of the Word & that the two are separate beings. They teach that the Holy Spirit is an impersonal force, much like electricity. This force is used by Jehovah to accomplish His will. A person or people that claim authority to dictate new truth and rewrite the Word are “false prophets” and under judgement!

Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that any belief system or religious teaching other than theirs is part of the “great apostasy” and is “of the devil”. They teach that Jesus was hung on a “torture stake” or pole and not a cross. Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that when we die we are completely unconscious. Nothing survives the body except for a memory that Jehovah has of us. If we were good then Jehovah may choose to resurrect us in the “New System”( term to describe paradise). They teach that when Armageddon comes, all non-Jehovah’s Witnesses will be destroyed by God (not sent to Hell) – and the others will be in a new system of things and paradise. Because they are committed to OLD TESTAMENT LAW and that “life and SIN is in the blood- they teach that taking blood of any type is a violation of God’s laws and is a grave sin. This includes taking blood transfusions. The concept of “sin” in the blood is their own creation and is non-biblical. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe in two classes of Christian. One is of the “earthly class” or the “other sheep”. The other class is a “heavenly class” of a literal number:144,000 spoken of in Revelation- (Rev.7 disputes this & says that these are 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel!).  They are rewriting or reinterpreting Revelation- so Ed you must read this for yourself  -Rev.22:18-20

You can hide theology in all kinds of semantics and rabbit holes but you cannot hide the Truth…a counterfeit is shown when next to the real thing – the JW’s have a FALSE CHRIST- AND ARE NO BETTER THAN ISLAM! For you to endorse them, defend them, study with them and then worship with them makes you culpable of not only idolatry but also being a witness to a false religion and professing a lie against the faith – ignorance by them or you is no excuse! You are the “son” of the Living God who is your Father and also your friend and Savior. He has always wanted a relationship with you, but you have run from Him and now your letting a counterfeit imitation draw you away. Jesus warned us, “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold”.  So Ed, where is your love? Jesus said, “I AM the Alpha and the Omega”, says the Lord God, “who is and was and is to come, the Almighty God”. Rev. 1:8.   Read John 3:16-18. Even though Jesus Christ is and always was God, He is Love- and the greatest fruit of the Holy Spirit which is in every believer is Love- read The Word of God!  For literary inspiration read Pilgrims Progress – an allegory of the Christian walk.

The Legalistic, Mind Controlling Jehovah Witness Deception

Jehovah Witnesses have been taught to believe that God the Father alone is “Jehovah,” the only true God; that Jesus Christ is Michael the archangel or *a being outside the Person of the Father, called the Word and co-Creator; and that the Holy Spirit is neither God nor a person, but rather God’s impersonal “active force.”
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).

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.

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 the JW’s read Hebrews 1-2 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” (v. 5 and 6). Remind the JW that angels consistently refuse worship (“Be careful! Do not do that, but worship God,” Revelation 22:8,9) , 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. (John 10:36).

The Jehovah’s Witnesses actively teach that the Bible is virtually impossible to understand and that it has to be interpreted through someone who is “anointed” by Holy Spirit. So whatever is written here could change tomorrow if they choose to change the interpretation!  This is much like the many prophecies that they have made that never came true – which makes their founders false prophets! Conveniently enough they have plenty of these “anointed” ones at their headquarters in Brooklyn, NY.  One must follow their legalistic dictates! They teach that God is Jehovah, the Hebrew God of the Old Testament. They teach that He is “one Jehovah” and not part of a trinity.* They teach that Jesus was just a man while on earth. While in heaven He was and is, Michael the Archangel.*
They teach that Jesus isn’t equal to Jehovah and that the two are separate and distinct beings.*
They teach that the Holy Spirit is an impersonal force, much like electricity. This force is used by Jehovah to accomplish His will.*
Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that any belief system or religious teaching other than theirs is part of the “great apostasy” and is “of the devil”.
They teach that Jesus was hung on a “torture stake” or pole and not a cross.
Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that when we die we are completely unconscious. Nothing survives the body except for a memory that Jehovah has of us. If we were good then Jehovah may choose to resurrect us in the “New System”( term to describe paradise).
They teach that when Armageddon comes, all non-Jehovah’s Witnesses will be destroyed by God – and the others will be in a new system of things and paradise.
They teach that taking blood of any type is a violation of God’s laws and is a grave sin. This includes taking blood transfusions.
Jehovah’s Witnesses “disfellowship” members for violations of their laws such as smoking, drinking to excess, fornication, adultery, murder, eating or accepting blood, adopting another faith or attending another church, and disagreeing with the teachings of their leaders.  This is pure oppressive Legalism and deception!
Eating with such a person or even speaking to them is considered a grave sin.
They are duty bound to preach door to door about the impending end of the world in order to avoid being held “blood guilty” by Jehovah at Armageddon. They believe that if they fail to “witness” to others about the need to convert to their faith, they themselves will pay the penalty.

Jehovah Witnesses are obsessed with the notion that objects, books, and television shows can be “demonic” and provide a channel for demons
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe in two classes of Christian. One is of the “earthly class” or the “other sheep”. The other class is a “heavenly class” of a literal number: 144,000 spoken of in Revelation. Only the “anointed” or members of the 144,000 have the power to interpret the scriptures.

They teach that meeting attendance and field service (door to door preaching) is mandatory and that to become “inactive” (missing meetings and failing to report time in field service) is to risk losing Jehovah’s favor and dying at Armageddon.
Jehovah’s Witnesses teach a decidedly works based salvation. While they do accept the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ as a perfect man, they believe that they still must work to prove themselves worthy to Jehovah.
They teach that all holidays are “of the devil” and are steeped in paganism. Anyone celebrating a holiday stands to be “disfellowshipped”.
They teach their followers not to join the military or engage in any other profession that might involve taking a life. Any involvement in politics is strictly forbidden including voting or running for any office. .JW children are strongly discouraged from engaging in any organized sporting activity at school. Associating with anyone not a JW is strongly discouraged.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses have their own version of the scriptures that was put together by a team of translators. The New World Translation is their only approved version. They teach that Christ is not to be worshiped and that only Jehovah (the Father) is deserving of such worship.
They believe in a classical creation using 7,000. Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe in the doctrine of “hell fire” or the “lake of fire” where Satan, his demons, and all non-redeemed will be cast, and instead teach that “hell” or “hades” is the common grave of mankind.  The life of a JW is oppressive like Islam in that they have to constantly perform or else lose their special privileges and status!

*Their definition of Jesus Christ is evolving with time.  Apparently many do not claim that he is Michael, but they do believe that he is NOT PART OF THE TRINITY AND IS OUTSIDE THE ORIGINAL GODHOOD.  He is the Word created by God from whom the Holy Spirit emanates.  Read up on the Arinius Heresy which led to the early church convening the Council at Nicea.  What they do is take John 1:1-2 and change the meaning of “Word” to be a god! Their translation says “in the beginning was the Word and the Word was a god”.  Since Jesus Christ is the “Word” - it implies that Jesus Christ is “a god”.   Hence Jesus Christ is separate from the Father or Jehovah and is a created being!  The Nicean & Athanasian Creeds disagree with this JW heresy.  The Athanasian Creed is as follows: we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the persons, nor dividing the substance. For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit. But the godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, is all one, the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit. The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal. And yet they are not three eternals, but one Eternal. As also there are not three incomprehensibles, nor three uncreated, but one Uncreated, and one Incomprehensible. So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty, and the Holy Spirit Almighty. And yet they are not three almighties, but one Almighty. So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God.