What is a cult?
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The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society ( Jehovah’s Witnesses - J.W's.)
This society is not Christian. They believe they are. Christian believe the truth (as defined in God's word the scriptures) is the only authority we have to determine and define what God says about Himself, creation, the destiny of mankind and salvation by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. When Jesus ascended after His resurrection He sent the Holy spirit to direct/guide believers into all truth. In fact, Jesus said this to His first disciples (followers-pupils) in John 14 :23-26
Before looking at some of the beliefs of J.W's let us consider the words of Jesus in Matt16:13-18
When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
So they said, “Some [say] John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed [this] to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
Interesting that only The Father could have revealed this to Peter. But what did The Father reveal? That Jesus is the anointed-chosen one (Christ) The Son of the Living God.
The prophecies in Isaiah ch 7:14 & 9:6-7 & 53 tell us so clearly of Who the anointed one is and what He would come and do.
In Ch7:14 we read “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. (God with us)
6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of [His] government and peace [There will be] no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
And Chapter 53 Speaks of He. The He is Christ the Savior.
Verse 5 says But He [was] wounded for our transgressions, [He was] bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace [was] upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
In the above prophecies are evidence of who the Son of God is. Isaiah inspired by the Holy Spirit says He is God with us (Immanuel) , who is named as Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, who is the same who died for us and who will one day be King forever on this earth.
When we put our Faith in Christ the Son of God we have put our faith in God. New or Old covenant by faith alone we are made righteous. (Rom 4:1-6, 2Cor5:21, Phil 3:8-11)
1John 4:1-3 tells us
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
To a certain point one could use this text as an argument to say that J.W's do not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.But the context is more to do with the Love that is active in the believers life as a result of the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them. Those who do not have the Spirit of Christ are Anti Christ according to the verses that follow.
4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Seeing God Through Love
12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
Notice verse 4 says "You are of God, little children" Here we have the proof that Jehovah's witnesses are not part of God's family.
This is also of course is what Rom 8 speaks of too.
So let us take a closer look at Rom 8:8-17
We notice that those who have the Spirit of Christ are God's children and call God their “Abba, Father.”
8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors–not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs–heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
J.W's say they do not have to be born again.unless you're one of the 144,000
So they are not saved, they are not born again and they are not God's children.
What J.W's believe:
- They believe Jesus is the Son of God but not that Jesus is the Word who is God. Therefore they do not believe that Jesus is God.
- They believe Jesus is the Archangel Michael. http://www.towertotruth.net/WilltheRealJesusPleaseStandUp.htm
- They believe the meek shall inherit the earth by meek they believe one who has a good nature like Christ. But they don't believe one must be born again. This is of cause a works based idea they think that one can have the nature of Christ without the Spirit of Christ.
- They believe when a person dies they no longer exist.
- They believe the Holy Spirit it not part of a triune God, He is simply the "force" of God. Therefore that the Holy Spirit is not the person of God & Christ.
- They believe only 144,000 JW's will go to heaven.
- They believe they do not have to be born again.
- Jesus died and was resurrected by God as a spirit creature.
The Jehovah's Witnesses (JW's) have their own Bible translation called the New World Translation (NWT)
Although it is possible to prove who Jesus is from this very badly translated bible it has been my experience that blindness through brainwashing makes it impossible to reason with a Jehovah's witness. Only God by whom all things are possible can do that. However as a Christian I believe it is required of us where possible to speak the truth in love to any person even if they refuse to hear.
Is the Holy Spirit a Person or an Impersonal Force?
Is the Holy Spirit a Person or an Impersonal Force?
The article below is taken from
© Spotlight Ministries, Vincent McCann, 2003
www.spotlightministries.org.uk
The Watchtower Society teach Jehovah's Witnesses that the Holy Spirit is not a Person
but rather "God's active force". It is taught that this force is impersonal and is often
likened to electricity.
"Consider the far-reaching effects of an electric power plant. A power plant has a cer-
tain location in or near a city. But its electricity is distributed over all that area, provid-
ing light and power. It is similar with God. He is in the heavens. Yet his holy spirit,
which is his invisible active force, can be felt everywhere, over all the universe. By
means of his holy spirit God created the heavens, the earth and all living things. ... He
can send out his spirit, his active force, to do whatever he wants even though he is far
away." (You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth, (1982), p. 37).
But despite the claims of the Watchtower, the Personality of the Holy Spirit is clearly
threaded throughout the Bible:
Jesus used personal pronouns when referring to the Holy Spirit:
"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. "And He, when
He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;
concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, be-
cause I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because
the ruler of this world has been judged. "I have many more things to say to you, but
you cannot bear them now. "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. "He will glorify
Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. "All things that the Father has
are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you. "(John
16:7-15).
Scripture uses many terms that are used when speaking of a person and applies them
to the Holy Spirit:
He helps (John 16:7).
He comforts (John 14:16).
He convicts of sin (John 16:17).
He gives testimony of Jesus (John 15:26).
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Mormonism
Mormon get their doctrine from four sources:1.The Book of Mormon
2.Doctrine and Covenants
3. Pearl of Great Price
The Bible (in that order).
The first three oppose the truth of the word of God.
Mormons often ignore the Bible, claiming it is "mis-translated."
The book of Mormon is full of fantasy stories of places that have never existed historically. No archaeological discoveries have ever been found to substantiate their existence yet they hold to the book of Mormon as truth.
Here is a helpful link providing evidence that Mormon teaching is not the teaching of the bible and therefore not Christian doctrine.