Jehovah's Witness Conference at the Gwinett Center

I get junk mail. You get junk mail. I get cyber spam and you do, too. Sometimes I get those flyers left under my windshield wiper offering a pizza for half price. I am not complaining, just pointing out facts. Sometimes I get the leaflets attached to my mailbox or even stuck in my door. Recently, I got an invitation stuck through my front door to a big conference at the Gwinnett Center in July.

The invitation was to three full days of Jehovah Witness teachings. It is a special program called “The Watch” and would focus on end times teachings. Also, it let me know I could send off for a free book that would tell me “what the Bible really teaches.” Maybe you have received the same invitation or had a recent visit from the JW crowd. As I read it over a couple thoughts came to mind. First of all, their gathering is centered on the end of the world teaching. This is nothing new to them. They have been predicting dates and sounding the alarm for a hundred years. They will name a date; people will get scared, sell their possessions and wait. Then the date passes and a new revised date will be proclaimed. People will get scared, sell their possessions and wait. False alarm again, but the JW faithful hang in there. Then another prophecy comes along and a new date is set. Guess what happens? People get scared, sell their possessions and wait. I don’t know if this conference is set up to reveal the next big prediction, but I wouldn’t be surprised.

The other thing I thought about with the leaflet was the book offer. This sounds like a very gimmicky way to capture interest by offering something to really enlighten you. The issue isn’t their interpretation of the Bible, it’s the Bible itself. The JW Bible is a Bible only used by them. It is unlike your NIV, KJV NASB or any other one you might find at LifeWay. Sure, the books and chapters and stories sound almost identical. However, by changing a word per chapter or a few in a book they subvert what is meant to be communicated. It sounds like minor changes and in the whole volume of scripture it is. But what you end up with is a teaching that is blaspheming the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ. Their specialized Bible translation is a dangerous invention that is carefully disguised. They teach their beliefs and convince their listeners based on it. They are blind leading the blind into the same ditch. Pray for them. But I would caution with advice from 2 John 1:10. “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him.” If anyone wants to present another gospel to you, such as the JW, then it’s best not to even welcome them. Throw away the flyers, the invitations and whatever else they bring. And if you want a concise and authoritative presentation of what the Bible teaches, then get A Survey of Bible Doctrine by Charles Ryrie.

Your brother,
Jason

A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.

1 O Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! 2 Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” Selah 3 But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. 4 To the Lord I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah 5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. 6 I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side. 7 Arise, O Lord! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. 8 From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people. Selah (Psalm 3).

David was a fugitive fleeing for his life from his own flesh and blood. His critics were gleeful, sure that this was the end of him; certainly God would not save him now. After all, remember what it was that had gotten him into this mess–adultery, murder, an official cover up (the original Watergate), the challenge of the prophet. “It was all coming back to him now,” his enemies gloated as they threw their full support to Absalom.

David may be running on the outside (very practical in this case), but he was still at peace on the inside. What a wonderful lesson for us! God never promises us peace in the sense of freedom from trials, but He does promise a supernatural peace, a peace that defies human logic if, like David, we will keep our hearts set upon Him.

Consider this: David was in this predicament because of his sin with Bathsheba. He deals with his failure by confession (see 2 Samuel 12; Psalm 32 & 51). Chronologically this Psalm is written after 32 & 51. The Bible is in thematic order not by time line. Now David could have fretted. The natural thing to do would be to hear the voices of the critics and begin wringing our hands because, truth be told, he had blown it and Nathan the prophet told him this would happen. David could have reasoned, “This is my own fault” (to an extent it was) and given up completely. He didn’t. He knew his confession had been heard, he knew his sin had been forgiven, and even though he was now facing the consequence of his actions, he knew God was still in control and that God would do the right thing! The result: peace and confidence in spite of overwhelming odds.

You can have that type of peace. Come to Christ. Keep your list of sins short, always confessing them as soon as you become aware of them, and live with confidence.

One final thing, just for the what it’s worth department. Twice in this Psalm (and throughout the Psalms) we encounter the word “Selah.” The meaning of that word is uncertain. Since the Psalms were one of the forms of music of the day, many believe that this is simply a musical notation, a pause, or a rest in the music. However some Hebrew scholars feel that this particular rest in the music had the significant meaning of “pause and consider” what you have just sung. In other words, “Take this to heart.”

God Bless America-Are We Fooling Ourselves?

"Doing what is right makes a nation great, but sin will bring disgrace to any people." (Proverbs 14:34, NCV).

Since we are approaching the July 4th weekend, I thought it appropriate that my thought centers on a patriotic theme. Often I hear our political leaders ending their speeches with a perfunctory “God bless America.” Let me state right at the beginning of this article that such sentiments are useless as long as we as a nation persist in pursing courses in our private and public lives that God cannot bless.

In the Old Testament book of Jeremiah, Israel thought it was safe because of their heritage, because they were the chosen people of God, because the temple of God was located in Jerusalem. " The Lord told me to stand by the gate of the temple and to tell the people who were going in that the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, had said: Pay attention, people of Judah! Change your ways and start living right, then I will let you keep on living in your own country. Don’t fool yourselves! My temple is here in Jerusalem, but that doesn’t mean I will protect you. I will keep you safe only if you change your ways. Be fair and honest with each other." (Jeremiah 7:3-5, CEV). I fear there are many in America who are making the same mistake Israel of Old made. We may not be declaring “This is where God lives;” our deception comes in the mistake belief that “God bless America” is a magic mantra that will somehow keep us safe!

Thomas Jefferson warned, "God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed the only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift of God? That they cannot be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that His justice cannot sleep forever."

George Washington said, “Of all the habits that lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would men claim the tributes of patriotism who would work to destroy these great pillars of human happiness. . . Do not let anyone claim to be a true American if they ever attempt to remove religion from politics."

John Adams warned: "There is no Government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion." He went on to say, "Our constitution was only made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

Newsweek Magazine, August 1976 reminded us that "America was in fact born in the cradle of a powerful spiritual revival." And it was! We need to stop this silliness today that we call the separation of church and state. The founding fathers never intended to keep religion out of public life! Indeed, James Madison, one of the framers of our Constitution said, James Madison, the framer of the Constitution said, "We have staked the whole future of American Civilization not on the power of the Government, far from it. We have staked the future of our political institutions upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God."

We’ve lost that today. We want God’s blessing on everything we happen to like doing. We cannot understand why we are in the condition we are in today as a nation. We are following history and we are on the sunset of our greatness. We cannot continue to defy God espousing unions that are sinful, murdering innocent unborn children, proclaiming immorality to be moral, promoting corrupt policies, and the list can go on and on. If we want to recapture America’s greatness, we must return whole-heartedly to the God of the Bible. We need to declare this July 4th, not our independence from God but our utter dependance upon him. Then, the words “God bless America” will truly mean something.

Today’s thought is timely. It is taken from Eugene’s Peterson’s modern translation, The Message (MSG). “10 So, rebel-kings, use your heads; Upstart-judges, learn your lesson: 11 Worship God in adoring embrace, Celebrate in trembling awe. 12 Kiss Messiah! Your very lives are in danger, you know; His anger is about to explode, But if you make a run for God—you won’t regret it!” (Psalm 2:10-12 MSG).

Warnings are everywhere these days. Here are a few examples to lighten your day: On a Sears hair-dryer: "Do not use while sleeping." On a bag of Fritos: "You could be a winner! No purchase necessary. Details inside." On Tesco's Tiramisu dessert (printed on bottom): "Do not turn upside down." On packaging for a Rowenta iron: "Do not iron clothes on body." On Boot's Children Cough Medicine: "Do not drive a car or operate machinery after taking this medication.” On Sunsbury's peanuts: "Warning: contains nuts." On a Swedish chainsaw: "Do not attempt to stop chain with your hands." You got to smile. Sadly, these warning labels are on these products for a reason! I saw one hair-dryer that warned, “Do not use in shower.”

We laugh at things like this, but the reason they are on these products is because we live in a litigatious society. I am amazed at the various court cases in this country that have awarded huge cash settlements to people who were injured doing dumb things. A children’s Halloween superman costume contained this warning: “This suit does not enable the wearer to fly.”

Warnings are everywhere today except in the most important place: in the church. It is not popular preaching to sound any sort of spiritual warning to people today and our pulpits have complied. I think of one large church where the pastor actually declared, “We are not going to talk of anything negative in this church. Sin and hell are negative doctrines and will not be mentioned.” Great marketing, poor theology.

The warnings on packages are there for a reason. The warnings in Scripture are there for a reason. David puts it all in perspective in our text: “10 So, rebel-kings, use your heads; Upstart-judges, learn your lesson: 11 Worship God in adoring embrace, Celebrate in trembling awe. 12 Kiss Messiah! Your very lives are in danger, you know; His anger is about to explode, But if you make a run for God—you won’t regret it!” (Psalm 2:10-12 MSG). Popular message? No. You won’t find this or anything similar in the how to manuals of church growth which are so popular today. You will find them in God’s manual of church growth however. We are not called to be popular. We are called to be faithful. Don’t shy away from the hard message. Someday it will be too late.

“1 Happy are those who reject the advice of evil people, who do not follow the example of sinners or join those who have no use for God. 2 Instead, they find joy in obeying the Law of the Lord, and they study it day and night. 3 They are like trees that grow beside a stream, that bear fruit at the right time, and whose leaves do not dry up. They succeed in everything they do. 4 But evil people are not like this at all; they are like straw that the wind blows away. 5 Sinners will be condemned by God and kept apart from God’s own people. 6 The righteous are guided and protected by the Lord, but the evil are on the way to their doom.” (Psalm 1:1-6 TEV).

Do you want real happiness? Not the momentary fleeting pleasure that so many mistake for happiness, but real, deep seated happiness that can’t be touched? Psalm 1 tells us how to obtain it.

First, watch your associates. I am alarmed at the number of professed believers who constantly seek out unsaved friends for counsel and advice. How can they help you? “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14 NKJV). My personal opinion is that the only reason a believer might seek the advice of an unbeliever is because that believer is looking for justification to do something he or she already knows they ought not do. Just a thought, but that thought is based on years of experience and observation. What is not my opinion are the words of this Psalm, “1 Happy are those who reject the advice of evil people . . .”

As much as I like modern translations, there is still great value in the older, more traditional translations. When I memorized these verses I did so in the King James Version (which my son is convinced was the newest translation of my youth): “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” Did you catch the downward spiral of this verse? First the individual walks with the unbeliever. The concept here is that this is where he or she finds their direction; where they go for advice and comfort. The Holman Christian Standard Bible translates this portion of this Psalm, “How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked . . . .”

The person who seeks such advice as they walk through life soon begin to settle in and find comfort among the wicked. They take their stand with them. I was appalled recently to read of a singles Christian Bible study which is held every Tuesday at Hooter’s. Why? Because that’s where these professed believers are comfortable. They have taken their stand. They are comfortable in surroundings that should really make them very uncomfortable. They are not spiritually sensitive.

The final step downward is the person walks in the company and counsel of the ungodly, then they take their stand with them, finally they are setting down in fellowship with “those who have no use for God.”

So, the question of the hour is, where are you looking for happiness? Where are you looking for fulfillment? Where do you turn when you need advice and guidance? Look in the wrong places and you will go down the wrong path to your own doom. Look to God and you will be firmly established.

One final thing. This has nothing to do with experience. Experience and feelings will mislead you again and again. We need to seek guidance in what Dr. Francis Shaeffer called, “True truth.” The absolute, infallible, inerrant Word of God.

Ezekiel 33:30-32 in the New Century Version (NCV) reads, “But as for you, human, your people are talking about you by the walls and in the doorways of houses. They say to each other: ‘Come now, and hear the message from the Lord.’ 31 So they come to you in crowds as if they were really ready to listen. They sit in front of you as if they were my people and hear your words, but they will not obey them. With their mouths they tell me they love me, but their hearts desire their selfish profits. 32 To your people you are nothing more than a singer who sings love songs and has a beautiful voice and plays a musical instrument well. They hear your words, but they will not obey them.”

When I read those words I thought, “How applicable to the church today!” For many church is nothing more than an alternative from of entertainment. They come and enjoy the music, they participate in the various activities offered, but they don’t take the message to heart. Ezekiel said of the people of his day, “With their mouths they tell me they love me, but their hearts desire their selfish profits.” The prophet Isaiah had a similar observation, “The Master said: ‘These people make a big show of saying the right thing, but their hearts aren’t in it. . . they act like they’re worshiping me but don’t mean it.’” (Isaiah 29:13 MSG).

Now I am not a prophet or the son of a prophet, but I am willing to venture that a whopping 80% of people who attend church today are firmly in Ezekiel’s and Isaiah’s category of people who listen but don’t really care what God has to say.

Tough words; hard words. Some who have read them have responded by calling me in their own minds “judgmental” and harsh. Think about it though. In the area I am writing from we have at least 6 what church growth specialists call “Mega Churches.” Now I would think that if the vast number of people who attend these churches were fully committed Christians their impact on society would be phenomenal. Is that what we are seeing? Unfortunately not. In fact what we are seeing is a large group of people who claim church membership but whose lives reflect the values of the world. “With their mouths they tell me they love me, but their hearts desire their selfish profits.”

Lest you think the above statement is nothing but envy on my part, let me state that one man at one of these churches stated, “We have a beautiful worship service–it’s great. But it is not uncommon to leave the service and find people in fist-fights in the parking lot because someone did not let them out when they wanted out.” “They sit in front of you as if they were my people and hear your words, but they will not obey them.”

What is true in the Mega churches holds true in the mini churches as well. We seem to have a Christianity today that is much more form than function. Oh, dear reader, if this describes you, a beg of you, repent. If your Christianity is a Sunday only thing or if your walk with Christ does not have a major impact in how you walk daily in the world, something is horribly wrong. No one can come to Christ and leave the same!

“I, Jude, am a slave to Jesus Christ and brother to James, writing to those loved by God the Father, called and kept safe by Jesus Christ. Relax, everything’s going to be all right; rest, everything’s coming together; open your hearts, love is on the way!” (Jude 1:1-2 MSG).

In his letter, Jude focuses on the problem of apostasy – turning away from God’s truth into error. In a day that is swarming with false teachers, every Christian needs to read this small book on a regular basis.

So often we know when something is wrong with us physically. The symptoms are obvious and we take immediate action to correct the problem. Unfortunately we are not as vigilant spiritually. The result is bad teaching creeps into our lives and bad thinking corrupts our life-styles.

The problem is not new. Satan is the great deceiver and our sin natures are immanently susceptible to anything that will feed it. The wonderful promise of God is that those who know Christ, really know Him, are kept safe by Him! We don’t have to wring our hands in worry, stress over whether or not things will work out, “everything’s going to be all right” What a marvelous promise!

What has you stressing today? Can you give it over to Jesus? Will you exchange your worry for His rest?